


Connection

by Leslielili28



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Action, Angst, Bad Ending, Blood and Injury, Character Death, Dark Character, Dark Past, Drama, Friendship/Love, Love Confessions, Multi, Other, Past Torture, Psychological Horror, Psychological Torture, Sad, Survival Horror, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-02-23 04:11:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 37,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13182108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leslielili28/pseuds/Leslielili28
Summary: This is MY and ONLY sequel from the Evil Within,i wrote it since 2015 and i'm so happy to finally post it !!!! i know there is TEW fans here,and i am also !!!! so this fic was written before of course TEW 2.I really hope you will love it,this fic is my pride !!! I'm kinda suck with summary i'm sorry so please just read it :)





	1. Prologue

_"Little girl…Don't step any closer. Can't you see how dark the corridor is? How cold the floor is? The ear-splitting noises coming from everywhere?" Diane_ is hearing this voice stopping her from going further. But where is her mother? She heard a frightful cry, and it was her mother's one. Without any doubt. In spite of her young age, Diane is bold and tries to move forward again. The wind is blowing and the sound of a slamming door makes itself heard. She turns her head and moves slowly to the window, shivering with cold…and fear.

_"Mommy?"_ It's just a whisper. She feels those things. Something is wrong. _"Mommy…Are you feeling fine?"_

No, her mother is not feeling well as she stands in the garden in the middle of the night, staring blankly at nothing. She has a lifeless glare. Her mommy, always so sweet, so full of love, looks like…a zombie. Diane tries once again to approach the window, until her mother suddenly howls in rage and takes her by the throat. Her eyes are red like blood. Diane is petrified. She was going to collapse when her mother brutally releases her and flees away at full speed. Diane stays alone, frightened, panting. She can't think of anything and faints in shock.

  
**"It's like he's asleep. Ruben Victoriano is laying on the bed and seems appeased. We managed to give him enough sedative to make him unconscious. Something changed in him. And it's not his appearance. The only time his eyes were open, there was some sort of clarity in them. A light, as if he could feel any emotion. We spent hours looking for the reason. We all drew the same and unique conclusion. Even the other members of Mobius, obstinate to practice more gruesome experiments on him, they never could have seen the truth. Ruvik wanted to escape from STEM. He managed to do it. It's a fact. And he needed someone to do so. Infiltrating Leslie Withers' body. However, what happened is rather the contrary. Leslie's consciousness allowed Ruvik to leave STEM. This clarity is Leslie. It's all that's left of this poor innocent boy. Him and Ruvik are now linked. Can we find a way to free Leslie? If Ruvik dies, does Leslie die too? We don't know yet."**

**"Months have passed and everything got worse. Ruvik woke up. I…Everything was a carnage. He destroyed everything. I managed to hide. Like a coward, I couldn't help my colleagues. But the little I've seen was incredible. Ruvik wanted to leave more than anything else, and not put a end to our lives. And I saw this clarity again. He killed, but his look was different. For a few seconds. Leslie was in him. It didn't change Ruvik. But it kept him alive. I am so tired… I guess I should introduce myself if someone finds my message. I am Dr. Walter. Bill Walter from Mobius. All I hope is that they won't find me."**

  
Sebastian constantly listens to these messages when he is home. It will never end. Everything is so blurry in his head. Joseph is probably dead…Ruvik prisoner, then free, then prisoner once again and…free again. With this time "Leslie" acting as his…conscience? He sighs, not knowing what to think, but a sole word springs to his mind and refuses to leave. Or rather, a name.

_**"Ruvik.**_ "

 


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes sorry there is not title for my chapters :) enjoy this chapter 1 the real one ! thank you for your reading , kudos and mostly comments <3 if you have some questions you can ask :)
> 
> OST to listen here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPFBCJ1T6OU
> 
> I love the show penny dreadful and the music.

Ruvik walks along Krimson City at a slow pace, looking down, his long floating white coat making him look even more like a ghost. Like in STEM. He hears screams, mostly perceives the children's ones. But he keeps moving forward like nothing happened. A small smirk eventually appears on his lips. He feeds from all this fear, he can feel it and in the real world it is more…"Delicious". If only he could…experiment more on it. He finally managed to escape from Mobius.  
They are so pitiful. Thinking they can restrain him. No one restrains him. Nowhere. He ends up hearing different noises. Noises he hasn't heard in a long time. Like alarms, red and blue colors and brutally, cars surrounding him, stopping him from moving further. Rage runs through his whole body, he still has his powers to destroy all those parasites. But Leslie stops him.

"Stop moving!" One of those microbes with a megaphone yells. Others are aiming at him with weapons. He closes his eyes, his first thought directed at Leslie. _"Leslie…Let me do it. If I die, you will, too."_ And strangely, Leslie understands him.

He slowly raises his hand up, ready to reach the point of no return, when a familiar voice rises out of the chaos. He recognizes this voice, frightened but calm. He looks up for the first time and sees him. His _"worst enemy"_ , but one of the few people who have been the closest to him in all his existence. He says nothing, does nothing to show he has recognized Sebastian who's putting himself between him and the parasites. What is he doing? Sebastian still remains so intriguing.

"Don't shoot! I'll deal with him, alright? There are children! They mustn't see anything!"  
Ruvik smiles cynically. That dear Seb hasn't changed. Always worrying about others, even if it means saving Ruvik.

"Ruvik…" Sebastian slowly tries to get closer to the other man. He's not dreaming. Ruvik is really there. In all his glory. "I won't hurt you but you have to come with me…"

"What makes you think I would follow you?" This tone…Sebastian remembers it very well. The same he used in the elevator. Deep and calm. He doesn't know what to answer. They are enemies. But right now he doesn't want to act that way. He wants to save those people, even those stupid cops unaware of who they're dealing with, and spare them from an atrocious death.

"Trust me. I know you're doubting. But I swear, I won't do anything to you."  
Strangely, he ends up believing him. Last time they were face to face, they tried to kill each other and Sebastian didn't miss him. Just for that he could make him pay. But he has other concerns.

"You don't know how lucky you are of having already met me…Seb."

With that, he slowly walks towards Sebastian's car, without a single word. The brown-haired man stares at him with a puzzled look like he has always done and reassures the crowd, promising them that nothing will happen. He gets inside the car and as he sees Ruvik's sadistic smile, old memories reappear. The worst of them. It's rather Ruvik, who's comfortably sitting down, who doesn't know how lucky he is. And again…He has all the reasons to kill him. But a part of him refuses and he would give everything not to listen to it.

"So…" Ruvik begins on an amused tone. "You're lost in your thoughts?"

Seb slightly shakes his head. He hasn't changed at all. Whether in STEM or in the real world, Ruvik knows how to be annoying.  
He starts the car at full speed and heads to the police department. He's saving a special room for Ruvik. Where only him can get inside and see him.

At the krimson city police department, agents and detectives are surprised, even frightened, to discover that Sebastian Castellanos, known for being one of the most scrupulous cops, has brought back this psychopath many have heard about. But they ignore their shared past. And Sebastian, feeling the weight of their stares on him, tries not to pay attention to it. However, it amuses Ruvik. He hates being looked at, it even disgusts him sometimes, but he is currently pleased by it. He will change Sebastian's life. Once again, he knows it. Playing with him again.  
Sebastian was going to push Ruvik inside the room when one of his colleagues takes him aside. Seb can feel Ruvik stiffen, ready to defend himself. He doesn't want any damages…not anymore.

"Listen, Castellanos. You seem busy but there's a case that needs immediate attention…Look at this file."

The man hands him the file and Sebastian examines it with care. A picture shows a little girl, afraid…She slightly looks like his daughter…It upsets him.

"I'm going to take care of it." He says with a whisper. During those few minutes, Ruvik realizes that for the first time, he doesn't know what to think about it. Sebastian has changed. He looks more vulnerable. He made him that way. Even more affected by the things around him since his daughter's death and everything that happened in STEM. Sebastian became the perfect survivor. With perfect psychological damages. Always so fascinating. Sebastian keeps the file in his hand and lets Ruvik inside the room. Then, he turns towards his colleagues to give them an order.

"No one gets inside this room unless it's me. I'm going to deal with him."

He's forced to act like this. He doesn't want any carnage. He has already seen too much of it, and it keeps going. He knows his colleagues might think he's dealing with this case in a weird way, but he doesn't give a damn about it.  
Ruvik watches around the room in which he's currently kept in. Rather small, but not sordid nor stifling.

"Sit down." Seb orders him. He raises his eyebrows, surprised. So Seb, for a moment, thinks he's now the master of the game. _"Let's make him keep that joy for a moment."_

Ruvik sits down calmly, without breaking eye contact. Sebastian tries not to let himself be disrupted by this piercing gaze. He knows he's _"studying"_ him. That's something he never ceased to do but him wants to change things. For the good of the world. Ruvik free, it only bodes horror.

"I've learnt about you. I've received some messages from this organization…Mobius." At those words, Ruvik rolls his eyes. Of course. How else would he have learnt about it?

"But I already felt it." Sebastian pursued on a softer tone. "As soon as I got out of STEM, it was rather painful, always the same headaches. Why?"

Ruvik stays quiet for a while before answering on a neutral tone, as usual.

"You're dealing with the aftermath, no one ever gets out of STEM unscathed. You either die in there, become a prisoner like me or by the greatest miracle, you get out and stay connected to it. You're kind of connected…to me." He finishes his sentence smiling like he once did while saying those words, _"you are mine"._

Sebastian sighs and slowly stands up, ready to pursue the conversation calmly.

"Ruvik, I won't hurt you. I just want to make sure that you, however, won't try anything. I don't want that anymore."

"This isn't about you." Ruvik retorts dryly, but Seb doesn't let himself be impressed by it anymore and leans against the table in order to be closer to his former enemy.

"You're wrong, as long as I will be connected to you, if not forever, everything you do and think about doing, it's my business."

Deep down, he's right. And somehow, this pleases Ruvik.

"You're interested by me, admit it."

"Ruvik…Of course I am."

He totally is. Ruvik came into his life and changed it in so little time, like a tsunami. He can't ignore it anymore. Ruvik starts to feel bitter at Sebastian's tone. A compassionate and calm tone. What game is he playing?

"You really aren't going to hurt me?"

"No."  
Ruvik laughs bitterly.

"Don't mock me."

"No, that's no my attention. I don't want it anymore, believe it or not I don't care. If I wanted to hurt you I would have already done it as soon as I found you in the middle of the city. I tried to kill you…I failed."

"I've completely defiled you."

Is it true? No, he was already defiled, since his daughter's death and Myra's vanishing. Even if he has a strange, disturbing feeling.

"No, Ruvik." He says with a wry smile. "You didn't defile me, you made me angry, you woke something up in me that I thought was gone, you probably…exhausted me after all you made me go through, the monsters I had the honor to meet…But you didn't break me. Now I feel…serene." It was sincere and at the same time he was trying to hit where it hurt.

"Stop. Shut up."

For the first time, Ruvik refuses to acknowledge that he changed someone's life to make him "serene", it's ludicrous. Like this way Sebastian acts towards him. The detective stands up, heading to a fruit cup.

"I'm sorry…" He says slowly. "We…Don't have pears or pumpkins." Ruvik gives him an odd look then remembers the paintings hanging on the walls of the Victoriano manor. "But we do have oranges. Do you want one?" He asks this time on a cheerful tone, which exasperates Ruvik. Right now, he would like to reduce him to ashes…Especially because he sees that Sebastian is sincere. Ruvik answers the question by shaking

his head, a dark look on his face. Sebastian smiles, far from surprised by his behavior. He knows it will take time until Ruvik accepts to become familiar with him.

"Everybody loves oranges. That's all I can give you for now, eating will do you good and I have a job to do."

Ruvik ends up eating the orange, his eyes never leaving Sebastian. He knows his job has something to do with the little girl on the picture.

"Are you intrigued by her?" He asks with a mysterious smile.

"I'm ready for everything." Sebastian simply replies, leaving the room. He turns around one last time and retorts on a tougher tone:

"Don't leave the room, Ruvik. I will come back. For now, you have nowhere else to go, and you know it. You won't make it out alive. You will need me. And I don't want a carnage anymore."

He refrains himself from doing anything, something his old self would have done, and it only amuses Ruvik who takes advantage of the situation once again.

"Alright, boss. Do your job, then."

Sebastian doesn't say anything else and closes the door, leaving Ruvik alone with his thoughts. Darker than anyone could imagine. He looks at the orange closely before sinking his long burnt fingers in it, picturing a brain instead of the fruit. "Indeed, Seb… _Everybody loves oranges_."


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this new chapter,i really hope you like it,sorry for the english ^^ Like i said it is my only " TEW " fanfiction and it was one of my most amazing moment to write it,write all these characters !!!!

  
Sebastian walks out of the room where Ruvik is kept in and sees a little girl in the hall, surrounded by his coworkers. Various images come to his mind, like the fact that she looks even more like Lily than she did on the picture, even though he knows it's not her. Above all, he pictures Joseph kneeling down next to her, trying to comfort her like he often did with children. He tries to shake the thoughts away and not to pay attention to the stare Ruvik gives him behind his back. _"He always knows how to distract me…"_ He walks towards the little girl, who looks terrified and lost. He asks his coworkers to leave him alone with her. When they're gone, he sits down next to the girl and looks at her attentively. The child, on the other hand, doesn't even dare to look at him. Nor talk. Nor move. He opens the file to look once again at what happened to her. _"Found completely alone in the middle of the forest, calling her mother and crying. No apparent injuries. Refuses to communicate_."  
He closes the file and focus on the little girl again. For the first time since his daughter's death, he realizes he doesn't know how to approach a child anymore. At this moment he feels lost, exactly like her. 

"Hello…" He mentally calls himself an idiot. No, it's not a "hello" for her. But what else can he say? "You can't talk?"  
The girl stays silent for a while until she shakes her head.

"I understand. My name is Sebastian Castellanos." He gradually recovers some confidence and pursues. "You were found alone in the forest…Do you remember?"

This time she nods but still doesn't say anything. _"At least she acknowledges my presence. She's not completely disconnected from reality."_

"We had to bring you to the police department to make sure you're safe. And you are, trust me. You're not in danger."

That's when she lifts her head and looks at him, her eyes full of tiredness and sadness. At this very moment, Sebastian feels like he just got punched in the chest. He hates to see a child suffering. 

"Diane. My name is Diane." She slowly whispers.

He gives her a softened smile but tries not to scare her so she doesn't stop trusting him. He's the first person she chose to speak to. Now he can't fuck it up.  
"Do you want to drink something? You seem so cold…What about a hot chocolate?"

"Yes…Thank you."

He knows he has questions to ask her. And god knows they will be hard for her to hear. But he prefers to take his time so she feels better. He gets up in order to go fetch a cup of hot chocolate, without forgetting to promise her he will be back soon. Diane looks as he walks away, immediately feeling a great gentleness coming from this man, who seems to have such a beautiful soul. She can feel those things. She trusts him, yes, she can talk to him. But not yet.  
However, that sweet aura brutally changes to something icy. She feels like someone is watching her. Turning around, she sees another man in a room, rather frightening, his body covered with burn scars, all dressed in white with a hood. He's playing with an orange, crushing it inside his hands. His gaze is insistent on her, with big grey eyes. But he ends up smiling at her. Not a warm smile, but rather an amused one. She hears footsteps and sees the nice Sebastian again, who's holding a cup of hot chocolate. 

"Be careful, it's hot." He says, giving her the cup. 

Diane gladly reaches for the cup with a smile and focuses on the other man. Sebastian notices it and immediately walks to the room to close the blinds. Ruvik can't do anything for now or know anything about this child. This would lead to horrible things. _"What an evening…I didn't picture it like this."_

"Don't mind him Diane, alright?"

Protecting this child is all that matters right now. 

"He's strange…" She whispers after taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

Sebastian smiles. He can't stop himself. Yes, apperceiving Ruvik for a single second is enough to understand that he's strange. Special. 

"I know that…You probably don't want to talk about it…But you know I'll have to ask you those questions…Right now I don't want to force you."

He's acting more like a friend and less like a detective with her. It's normal. He has to. For her. 

"I can do it…" Diane smiles softly. "I can talk about it. But only with you." 

He's surprised but relieved that she accepts to talk to him. 

"Now I can…I can trust you." She continues, still with a soft smile on her face.

"Alright…Let's go to my office, okay? You will feel better there."

While taking Diane to his office, Sebastian throws a glance inside the room where Ruvik is by lifting the blinds up and discovers him fixing the window without moving. He sighs and walks with Diane inside his office. She sits down, effectively feeling better in this calmer room. Sebastian was going to sit at the other side of the desk, but prefers to stay next to her for the interrogatory. He hates this word, especially in this situation. He would rather not have to do that. But it is his job.

"Diane…You can tell me everything. What happened…How you found yourself in this forest, alone. You were whispering your mother's name."

_There you go_. He talked about the painful subject and immediately feels guilty about it. _"Goddamn consciousness."_ Diane lowers her head while remembering the events. 

"It was horrible…I remember…My mother was nowhere to be found, I looked everywhere for her…But I heard those strange noises and…there was a shadow outside…" Soon there are tears inside of her eyes. "It was my mother…She wasn't answering my calls…And she finally turned around and…she tried to attack me…And then she ran away…But it wasn't human. Her cry…and how she ran away." The fact that Diane is still under shock makes her unable to cry. Not entirely. "I was shocked and I…I passed out. Then I woke up and I just wanted to find her…"  
She can't talk anymore.

"You went to this forest next to your home in order to find her?" Sebastian ends up asking with a soft voice, after carefully listening to her story.

"Yes. And I didn't succeed, I was so afraid and tired…"

Sebastian doesn't know what to think anymore. Things won't be as simple as he first thought. It's way more atrocious. He remembers all the horrors he encountered in STEM. He has the sensation that all of this is linked to this story. Slowly massaging the little girl's arm, he promises her that he will find her mother. But deep down inside him, he can feel the horror that's waiting for him. Once again, his thoughts are directed towards a single person. Ruvik. 

He leaves Diane alone in his office for a moment in order to find Ruvik and talk to him. It turns out that he will need him for this case. He doesn't have any other choice. Gathering his courage, he opens the door and sees him still facing the window, like a ghost. For an instant, Sebastian can't help but be mesmerized by this image. It's something he had already felt when he was a prisoner in STEM. What he doesn't know now is that Ruvik can feel him behind his back. Deeply. Ruvik, whose eyes were closed, instantly opens them with a smile. 

"So?" He asked in a deep voice. "You remember that I exist?"

"Ruvik…Something serious is going on. I won't beat around the bush, I need you in order to solve a case. Only you can help me."

He effectively dived straight into the core of the subject, and Ruvik can't help but laugh. A mocking laugh. His shoulders are even shaking. 

"Oh, really? You intend to use me in your little case just to facilitate the task?"

He's still not looking at him, remaining in the same position in front of the window. Sebastian slowly approches him. 

"It's very important, Ruvik. It's not just a 'little case'. I think it concerns you. You don't impress me anymore, you can mock me, you can reject me, try to kill me. I prefer to be honest. It's true that in the beginning

I preferred to keep you away. But I need your help."

Ruvik doesn't say anything and stays motionless like always. Sebastian steps closer.

"I promise you I will do everything I can so Mobius won't find you." He reveals, hoping for a reaction.

"I can protect myself, Seb." Ruvik answers calmly. The inspector gives him a little smile.

"I know. You're probably right. But you still have my help, I want you to know it."  
Ruvik can't help but wonder…Why? Why does this fool want to help him? Why all this kindness? He comes to the conclusion that it's a part of his personality. 

"Fine." He ends up replying and Sebastian is delighted by it. "But I have one condition."

"Spit it, then." Seb retorts with a slight humorous tone that Ruvik doesn't miss. 

"I don't want you to keep me there like a lion in a cage. I spent too much time stuck in this machine or in those narrow rooms. You don't have the right to keep me here as a prisoner." Sebastian can feel his rage and tries to reassure him. 

"That wasn't my intention. It was just for tonight."

He knows that he can't keep Ruvik there against his will. He doesn't stand a chance but despite everything, he will keep an eye on him. Ruvik turns around with a gaze full of anger but also something else that Sebastian can't guess. 

"Say it…" Ruvik whispers in a languorous voice. He's moving closer to Seb like a predator. It's when Sebastian is struck by a flash-back. When Ruvik was stepping closer to him in this elevator in STEM. After

Sebastian killed this…thing that looked like Ruvik's sister. And exactly like in the flash-back, he steps back, feeling Ruvik's dangerous aura around him. 

"What do you want me to say?"

Smirking, Ruvik is moving even closer to Sebastian, feeling his grip on the man. It's still there. 

"Say that you need me, and not my help."

They're looking right into each other's eyes as if nothing around them existed anymore. Like in STEM. 

"I need you." Seb answers back very seriously. For this case, yes, he needs him. But for Ruvik, it has another meaning. Or rather, he's amused by making it seem like there is one. 

"You really can't get enough of me." He laughs. 

Sebastian immediately understands. He can feel Ruvik's powerful ego and rolls his eyes. 

"You got it right." 

"I will help you."

They are now a team. Sebastian sees it like something good, but still risky. But this case is a priority. 

_"I never though I would need him. He's supposed to be everything I hate, everything I'm fighting against. In STEM, I didn't have any choice, but here I have one and I made my decision. Not to kill him. Even protect him if it's necessary. The real world will be against him. Does he realize it? But I will be there. However, he doesn't deserve it, he hurt me and my colleagues. But this isn't a matter of merit. Just compassion I feel for a lot of people. He will throw it away, I'm sure of it, but this is who I am. That's why he showed me his memories. He understood who I was. And foolishly I'm now hoping that I won't disappoint him. What's happening to me? I just want this to fucking end. Ruvik still has a strong grip on me and there's nothing I can do about it…"_

Ruvik realizes the state of weakness Sebastian is currently in and he can't do anything else but be delighted by it. But there will always be something in Sebastian stronger than Ruvik. Something indestructible. Sebastian has a particular strength in him that will always help him to get over any obstacle that is in his way. He knows it. He understood it in STEM. For that, Sebastian will always stay the most fascinating and complex being that ever crossed his path. And he doesn't regret it for a single second. Teaming up with him will be very interesting. 

_"It had to happen one day, Seb…Don't you think? You didn't hesitate for a second to come to me, take me and keep me. After all I did to you…Surprising."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments if you love it :) i will be very happy !!!!


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I won't spoil :) just that Seb and Ruvik gonna team up !!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this chapter thanks for your kudos and reading !!!! i try to post at least one chapter each week and i hope you will be attached to my story and the way i write these amazing characters from this amazing game ( i play it again by the way in the akumu mode ! )

Sebastian explained the whole case to Ruvik and they are currently on their way to the place where Diane was found. Sebastian can't help but think of the child, that she's now all alone but some people assured him they were going to take her to the hospital where she would be able to rest. During the ride, Ruvik thinks about the situation and what Sebastian said about the mother. It could be linked to him, indeed.   
They eventually reach the forest after a few minutes. In the car, the tension could have been cut with a knife. Sebastian tries to talk to him, even doing some small talk, but Ruvik still stays cold. Like he always do. But Sebastian hopes it will change. 

"It's here." The brown haired man declares with a heavy heart. Yes, it's there Diane was found, frightened and alone. Without saying a word, Ruvik gets out of the car and slowly walks, looking for clues. However, Sebastian takes hold of his gun, ready for a possible attack. Seing this, Ruvik immediately feels amused by it.

"Look at you, you could almost be scary."

 _"Don't make fun of me…Please. Now isn't the right time."_ They walk for a long moment through the trees, being all silent, trying to discover a clue. All they can hear in this dark night is the sound of crickets and other insects near by the lake. During a short moment, Ruvik feels like he's at peace. Stopping dead in his tracks, he closes his eyes. He has the sensation that they're close to something…Sebastian watches him, concerned, and steps forward towards him. 

"Ruvik?"  
He doesn't say anything. Sebastian tries to touch his arm, his fingers barely touching the cloth, in hope of having a reaction. Ruvik suddenly opens his eyes and shoves him away.

"She's there." He simply says and moves towards a shadow that's lying on the floor. Dazed, Sebastian follows him, not knowing what to say. What to ask. Indeed, they end up finding a woman's body. 

"Holy fuck…" Sebastian whispers, horrified.

"Language." The other man retorts while kneeling down next to the woman. "It's her, I have no doubts about it."

"What makes you say that?"

"Look at her eyes, she's been strangled to death, unable to breathe anymore…She's all blue. If she really was possessed, as her daughter described it, it ended up killing her in a second. But she suffered before."

He ends up telling Sebastian on a sadistic tone. 

Sebastian takes a closer look at the victim. This is clearly not good, he wanted to find this woman, but alive. He was going to take his phone to call his coworkers when Ruvik abruptly took hold of Sebastian's wrist, guessing what the man was going to do. 

"No. Your foolish congeners can't be informed."

"Why?" Sebastian looks at him incredulously. 

"This isn't an obligation. You don't have to find her, like you didn't have to team up with me. They won't do anything. They're useless and you know it." 

He's right. Ruvik is always right. They're entangled in something unusual. That only the both of them can face. He puts his phone back inside his pocket and Ruvik gives him a satisfied smile. 

"What are you planning to do, Ruvik?"

"We're going to take her with us. And I would be able to learn more about the circumstances of her death."

"How?"

Ruvik looks at him with a smirk. 

"Well, how do you think I'm going to do that?"

Sebastian understands and sighs. By "studying" her, of course. But they don't have any other choice. It's true that Ruvik will be…far better than his colleagues in that kind of activity. 

"Where are we going to take her?"

"Do I need to take all the decisions?" Ruvik asks with a hint of annoyance in his voice and Sebastian immediately answers. 

"Since you've decided to tear open her belly, then yes!"

Ruvik stays silent for a moment, secretly savoring this tension between us. Pissing Sebastian off is something he had always loved to do. It suits him. 

"That's fair. And this isn't her belly I'm going to tear open, but her br–"

"Spare me the details, please." Ruvik keeps smirking at him, waiting for Sebastian to carry the body. _"You wanted to team up with me."_

Sebastian tries not to push to the man's limits, he knows the beast well, but this way he has to mess with him isn't helping. Sometimes, it feels like he's dealing with a child. Ruvik walks back to the car without a word, waiting for Sebastian and looking for a classical radio station. He closes his eyes and stops moving. Sebastian doesn't know what to think of his behavior. For a moment, he sees Ruvik almost appeased while listening to Debussy's Clair De Lune. Slowly joining him, he's however forced to bring his partner back to the real world. 

"We need to find a secure place…This is the first time in my whole life that I'm putting a corpse inside the trunk of my car…We need to stay careful."

"I know a place." Ruvik answers on an impassive tone after opening his eyes. "Sebastian, please…don't make me say it. You know what I'm talking about."

They look at each other for a moment, right in the eyes. Sebastian ends up lowering his head, knowing exactly what place he's talking about. He slightly shiver at the thought.

"Your manor?…It really exists?"

"Of course. Everything you saw, everything I showed you about my life is real…Now start the car, I don't want to spend the night here."

For a moment, Ruvik seemed more affected by it…But the arrogant part of him showed up again. A small smile appears on Sebastian's face. This is becoming a habit. During the ride, Sebastian tries once again to talk to the man, but Ruvik isn't even looking at him. He seems to withdraw into himself…Is it because they're going to this damn manor? Perhaps. Furthermore, Sebastian wanted to talk to him about something in particular… _"How can I even find the best moment to talk to him…"_ Ruvik isn't Joseph, Ruvik is in fact unique on every aspect.   
He knows the way. He remembers when he found himself there, in the middle of the night. Sebastian stops and looks at Ruvik, who is busy looking at his family home. 

"Is it weird to you?" He asks, looking attentively at him. Another stupid question. Of course it's weird to him. But Ruvik still answers him, to Sebastian's great surprise.

"This place sums up all the best and worst things I've known in my life. I would have burnt everything that disgusts me."

Sebastian can feel his rage and doesn't say anything, waiting for Ruvik to continue. He tries his best to be a compassionate hand. Even if he can be clumsy. 

"But this is my home. At first, like you, I thought I had nowhere to go, but I still end up coming back here. I want to see what I cherish the most. I would never abandon it."

_"Laura…He's talking about Laura, her bedroom, her portrait."_

Ruvik gets out of the car first and Sebastian follows him, his mind wrapped around what Ruvik just revealed. He might be a psychopath, a killer, but he's the most incredible person Sebastian has ever met. He gets the woman's body out of the car, trying his best not to think about Diane. Carrying it to the manor, he feels a chill down his spine. This place will always make him feel like this. Ruvik turns around and slowly opens the door. 

"Come with me. You're not in danger, unless I want to."

For Sebastian, this isn't reassuring. He follows him, half against his will, but tries not to let himself be intimidated by Ruvik's invitation. As soon as they are inside the manor, everything is calm, cold, as if time has stopped. Ruvik immediately goes to the laboratory next to the kitchen without saying a word and Sebastian keeps following him. He remembers…The monsters, Ruvik who kept showing up, all those…lobotomies he had to perform. Everything rushes back to his mind. But he still tries to talk.

"Everything looks so different from last time–"

Ruvik instantly cut him off.

"The last time, which was by the way your first and only time, was just an illusion."

He always has the last word. The laboratory, however, hasn't changed. Small, with a lot of shelves and instruments of all kinds.

"Put the body there, on the table."

"I'm your slave." Sebastian does as he was told and Ruvik, satisfied by what he's going to do, goes to the kitchen to fetch himself a glass of wine. The brown haired man looks at him, intrigued. 

"When are you gonna start?"

"Later…You don't want to watch this, do you?" Asks Ruvik while smiling, knowing Sebastian's answer.

"No…"

"Of course. Do you want a drink?"

Sebastian accepts, appreciating the gesture, and Ruvik gives him a glass of wine. 

"Should we raise our glasses to our partnership, Seb?"

With a corpse a few feet away, it could be seen as offensive but Sebastian can't refuse. Deep inside him, he's glad to team up with Ruvik. It's something uncommon. 

"Let's do it."

The wine tastes weird…For a second Sebastian thought there was maybe something in it, not poison, just something foreign to him. But he's wrong. It's just an excellent wine. Good to relax, to brighten the mood. 

"I knew you would need it. But don't drink too much."

Ruvik put the wine away in order not to find himself with a drunk detective. He knows how Sebastian copes with his emotions. Sebastian does nothing but stare at Ruvik. This isn't due to his glass of wine, but rather to his curiosity. Ruvik starts to get impatient. 

"You want to tell me something. Go on, then. That little thing we're doing, drinking a glass of wine in my house, this isn't going to happen everyday."

_"One day, acting on my desires, I will keep you prisoner and you will become my favorite plaything again. No one will stop me."_

Sebastian stares at him a few seconds before talking again, silently.

"Where is Leslie?"

He wanted to know, he had to. He should have protected him inside STEM. But he failed.

"Should I really trust you on this? If I tell you, nothing will stop you from betraying me and giving me to Mobius."

"I would never do that." In the moment, Sebastian takes this accusation very seriously, more than he should. "I never stab someone in the back. Not even you, and you know that…This…"

Ruvik's eyebrows rise up as he waits for Sebastian to continue. He knows where Sebastian is trying to go with this.

"This?"

"This clarity …I saw it. In STEM, you didn't have it…"

"Stop this, you were put in the confidence by Mobius." Ruvik gives Sebastian a cold glare while trying not to let himself be fooled by all the kindness Sebastian has showed him since their reunion. They are enemies. Not matter what. Those are the rules since STEM. 

"That's true. But I saw it, believe me. I'm not going to do anything against you, I don't care about what you think or not. I told you that, Ruvik."

He can see the man's hand, which is shaking angrily around the glass almost as if he was going to break it in a thousand pieces. 

"Be careful, you could hurt yourself."

Ruvik smiles with disdain.

"Thank you for caring."

He turns around, putting his glass down on the table while lowering his head. Deep inside him, he knows he can trust Sebastian. Everyone can trust Sebastian. He's a man of honor. He's suddenly talking again in a deep voice.

"Don't interrupt me, not once. Things didn't go as I planned it. I wanted to escape from STEM. Find my sister. I hope she's somewhere out there."

Sebastian looks at him with a compassionate look, knowing it's false. But he lets Ruvik talk. 

"Leslie was supposed to be my vessel to return to the real world, but there was some kind of malfunction during the processus, even before our final fight. I was supposed to be in his body, but I woke up in mine and strangely, I didn't suffer from the burns anymore. I felt like something was different in me. Some Mobius agents tied me up again, studied me and saw that there was some kind of white light inside my brain. They came up to the conclusion that Leslie was now in my spirit, allowing me to live here, keeping me away from the physical pain. This clarity in my eyes can be seen from time to time. Because of that, they wanted to keep me to use me as a guinea pig. Again. I was recovering from all of this, but the simple thought of being their subject a new time…it allowed me to recover all of my strength. I didn't want to be touched anymore, I had to defend myself, kill them in order to survive. I realized I couldn't be separated from Leslie. He's some sort of conscience…"

As he talks, his voice starts to shake with the rage that keeps growing. He even forgets about Sebastian's presence, who is just standing up, not knowing what to say. Sebastian eventually moves towards Ruvik, who looks at him with a suspicious look and takes a step back. 

"No, don't worry, I won't do anything. I just want to…watch."

This time, Ruvik doesn't move and let Sebastian get closer to him. However, he's still looking at the detective with mistrust. Or, for a second, he refuses to accept all this gentleness and kindness that Sebastian keeps giving him. No one since Laura ever treated him this way. He doesn't want to falter. The brown haired man is looking at him, not with curiosity or as if he was coming from another planet. Sebastian just looks at him with tenderness and smiles. 

"You really are compatible. I have the impression that he's finally safe now, which wouldn't be the case if you suffered from having him inside your spirit."  
Ruvik takes a deep breath. 

"Shut up, Sebastian." He mumbles. "I told you everything. I will come to you if there's something new…You know how. Now leave."

_"Leave before I regret what I just did and make you pay. Trusting you."_

Ruvik just chose to completely trust Sebastian, a thing he hadn't thought of doing again after showing him his tragic past in STEM. He refuses to say to himself that there was a reason. Maybe he wanted to mentally tie himself to Sebastian just for a short moment, knowing that they both lost someone in similar conditions. But it can't work that way. They hate each other. He only accepted to team up with him in order to escape from the police department. Sebastian was the only one who could help him. Ruvik can play with him whenever he wants. He can't let himself be softened by this insupportable compassion Sebastian is showing him. He doesn't _need_ it. No.   
Sebastian stays still for a few seconds while looking at Ruvik, but he ends up slowly walking away towards the exit. He knows the path by heart. He doesn't want to irritate Ruvik, it's already a miracle the man confessed the truth to him. It was far more than he expected. He won't betray him.   
Before opening the gates, he turns around and his voice resonates in the hall.

"Thank you for your help. Really." But his voice stays soft. 

Suddenly, he's gone. Ruvik stays motionless, alone in his dark and cold manor. His hands are slightly shaking as he's unable to think about something else than this word. _Thank you._

_"Sebastian…I hate you."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No spoil ! :p

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the new chapter leave comments please i would be very happy to see reviews and answer some questions ^^

Ruvik steps toward this gaunt and bruised body. Doing a new experiment was the thing he had first wanted to do as soon as he came back to the real world. It reminds him of the first times he made discoveries on the human brain. He might not be able to kill for his pleasure again, but nothing will stop him from finding again those sensations of studying the wonders of the human body. Not even Leslie. Despite everything, he can't stop thinking about Sebastian's "thank you". The second he heard those words, he wanted to hurt him. Make him understand that he doesn't care about his gratitude. But Sebastian still keeps that thing that fascinates Ruvik, that gives him something he could only compare to butterflies in his stomach. He slowly raises his head up and sees his sister's portrait. His beautiful sister. 

_Seing you again would have been the most beautiful thing to happen to me. I would have protected you, loved you like I have always done. I'm staying here only to see you again, even if you're now just a picture. But the best one I can see._

He remembers this awful view of his sister in STEM. He didn't want to make her look like that, but everything was haywire. Starting with his mind…But now everything is clear. He takes the first surgical instrument he needs to start the experiment and pushes the button of his old recorder. Smiling, he makes the first cut. Like good old days. 

"The body shows marks all around the neck, as well as hematomas. The brain was deprived of oxygen for several minutes. Enough for the victim to react and free herself, but the pression exerted by this force was merciless. It took no more than around three seconds for her ear-canal system to start taking damage. Her respiratory system soon followed and it's obvious to conclude that the victim died of several causes: cerebral pressure, respiratory pressure, and a broken neck. There is no doubt…I know this way of killing…I created those responsible for her death. There's more of them…I can feel it. Their power is more powerful than in the machine…"

For him, there's no doubt. He should tell Sebastian about it like he promised him.   
  
Sebastian stays inside his car for a few minutes, parked outside the hospital where Diane is kept in. He tries to think of the way he's going to announce her the horrible news. He may have lied to his coworkers about finding the body, but he can't lie to her. He just can't. Losing a family member is what's the most difficult…A parent, a child….A sister. 

Ruvik always ends up being in his thoughts. 

He laughs in a bitter way and sighs while getting out of the car. He walks towards the hospital, wishing he could be anywhere else. Once inside, he asks for Diane's room. His stomach starts going into knots as he gets closer to the room where she's resting. He has seen so much, in his personal and professional life. But it's rare for him to be so anxious. He sees her. She's sitting down on her bed, her head down and with a sad look on her face. It almost makes Sebastian cry. But it's not like him to do so. "Get a hold of yourself, man." Even Ruvik or Joseph would correct him from acting this way. Knocking on the door, he steps inside the room and Diane immediately looks up at him, a dead look in her eyes. 

"You came back?" She remarks with a little voice. Sebastian slowly nods and walks closer. 

"How do you feel?"

She shrugs without answering. She doesn't know what to say. In a span of a night her life took a drastic turn. But once again, just looking at this man convinces her that she can tell him everything. As if he experienced the same things. For a few seconds, neither of them dare say a word. Sebastian tries to find the best way to announce her what's new. 

"Diane…" He looks at her with prudence and kneels down in front of her. "I need to tell you something…It's about your mother."

He tries his best to be as gentle as possible despite his rough voice. He was going to pursue when Diane cuts him off with a shaking voice.

"I know. Mom is dead." 

He says nothing, completely thunderstruck. 

"Diane…How…"

"I felt it. Since forever, I can feel things. And her…it was over. I couldn't feel anything anymore."

Since his daughter's death, he never felt such a thing. He can't describe it, but it hurts so much. He only wants one thing. To break everything, to let this feeling come back, either by smoking or drinking a glass of whiskey. But right now, all he does is massaging the girl's arm to comfort her, which he does rather clumsily. For fuck's sake, he was a father once. He should do this better. But he's like paralyzed. 

"I'm so sorry, Diane." This time, his voice is naturally softer. The girl lays her head on his shoulder, suddenly exhausted. Sebastian can hear footsteps coming to the room and turns around. He stays silent for a long moment, not expecting to see her. What is she doing there? The person looks at him without moving an eyelash. Diane can suddenly feels the tension but says nothing about it. Sebastian slowly gets up. 

"You…What are you doing there?" He whispers. 

"I wasn't expecting to see you there either, Sebastian. The last time I saw you…"

"What happened, agent Kidman?" He asks with an icy voice. "What did you do when I woke up?"

"I freed you. Can't you remember?"

And he remembers. He remembers her face when she motioned him to be quiet. She saved him…

"Why?" He asks harshly. She sighs, uncertain about what to answer.

"You didn't deserve this. I owned you something, you're a good man. I told you, Sebastian. Just for that, I didn't want you to be involved in all those horrors. 

On the spur of the moment, this answer makes him calmer. He knows she didn't lie. She probably experienced the same amount of horrors as he did in STEM. But a thought suddenly rushes back to his mind and

it doesn't take long for his anger to be back.

"And Joseph? Did he deserve this? Was a bullet in the heart all he deserved?"

"Of course not! You know I didn't want to shoot him, I had to find Leslie and…"

Tears are running down her cheeks. She really didn't want all this to happen. To kill Joseph…Well, he isn't…How can she tell this to him? Everything is jostling in Sebastian's head. This is too much to take. _"I will never be at peace. I should have left for Hawaii or anywhere else, far away from this mess."_

Sebastian notices a particular symbol on Kidman's hand. He touches it all of a sudden. 

"What is that? I've seen this symbol before." 

Kidman looks at him gravely, then her eyes fall on Diane. The girl silently kept looking at them with curiosity, but with an incredibly sad look on her face. 

"Sebastian, please…We should talk about this outside the room and let her rest."

He accepts reluctantly, hostile to the idea of leaving Diane alone. However, he assures her that they will stay close to her room if she needs anything. 

"Do you know a lot about this case?" Kidman asks suddenly, trying not to talk about the mark on her hand. Sebastian answers gravely, he doesn't have any other choice. 

"I'm working on it. And you? Do you know a lot about it?"

"I was made aware of it as soon as I came back and I wanted to meet Diane. We sympathized." She ends her sentence with a smile. "She's very brave."

Sebastian slowly nods, remembering the whole case. 

"Her mother passed away. I can't say much more for now, but trust me. Don't tell anyone about this. It would be useless."

For a moment, he starts thinking like Ruvik, which could be considered confusing. But he can't help himself. 

"What really happened? You need to trust me too, Sebastian…I beg of you."

He stays silent for a few minutes, wondering if he should really trust her and tell her about what happened. But she freed him, and met Diane. However, Sebastian prefers not to say anything about Ruvik or Leslie. He doesn't want to betray them. 

"It seems like…Being freed from Stem, wether it was you or me, wasn't without consequences. It was to be expected anyway, as soon as we were connected to it, we were condemned. This woman was possessed…Or contaminated by a malicious spirit from STEM…Like all those monsters we fought."

"My god…This could be a failure of STEM?"

"Either a failure or as I said, a consequence of our survival. We were probably supposed to stay forever in STEM, or die trying to get out."

Sebastian remembers Ruvik's words. Getting out of STEM is a miracle, but you can't do it unscathed. Ruvik getting out of STEM was itself kind of a consequence. He wanted to get out…But inside Leslie's body. 

"So…This woman won't probably be the only victim."

Sebastian tries to tell himself that talking to her wasn't a mistake. From the people he knew that were linked to STEM, she's the only one he's got left. The only one who was professionally related to him.

Furthermore, she saved him from STEM, perhaps he can give her a second chance. And it's true she's even more involved in this than he is. 

"Do you think Mobius knows something about it?"

She looks at him with a intrigued look and Sebastian can't help but sigh.

"Don't mistake me for an idiot. I recognize this mark on your hand. It's Mobius. You are connected to it. So it's only normal for me to ask you this question. Especially if we're going to work together again."

She owes him the truth. After everything they've been through. 

"It's true that I'm connected to it. And…to tell the truth, I ignore if they know something about it. I lost contact with them since I left. This mark is all I've got left."

Sebastian stares at the mark. Red and neat, it truly represents Mobius' symbol. 

"It looks like a burn…Is this dangerous for you?"

"It hurts from time to time. I believe I will keep it for life. I got it…When I stopped serving them."

"Damn…What did you get yourself into…"

They both stay silent for a while until Sebastian decides to walk away while looking at Diane, but Kidman suddenly speaks.

"Do you trust me?"

Sebastian stays motionless but ends up turning around, obviously exhausted. 

"I don't have any other choice…And…Yes. Somehow, yes. Don't disappoint me."

She understands and smiles.

"I'm tired." Sebastian sighs. "We will talk about this another day. Are you going to stay with Diane?"

"Yes. I will take care of her." 

He remembers. The last time she was taking care of someone, Leslie, she was hiding something. She was trying to kill him. But now, Sebastian knows why. At the moment, he wants nothing more than to sleep

and stop thinking about all of this. He smiles one last time at Diane, promising her that he will be back soon. She visibly understands and gives him a smile, but sadness is hiding at the corner of her lips. "Yes,

she is courageous. She reminds me of…" Suddenly, he's gone. Juli walks into the room and sits down next to Diane. 

"Do you have family left?"

"Yes. My uncle is going to come here with my cousin. They don't know yet…"

The woman gently puts her hand on Diane's arm in a comforting way. 

"You're not alone. Everything is going to be fine, Diane. Do you know when they will be there?"

"Tomorrow, during the day. I'm staying there for the night. Thank you, both you and Sebastian…"

For a few seconds, Juli can feel a chill down her spine but chooses to ignore it. 

"You…Even if I leave, will you and Sebastian come see me again?"

"Of course, don't worry about it. We will still be there for you, Diane. I think Sebastian really cares about you."

Those few words warm Diane's heart.

"He suffered in his life, didn't he?"

"Yes." Kidman answers sadly. "We all had our share of misfortunes. But the only thing we can do is fight."

A nurse enters the room, advising Diane to sleep. The little girl, despite being tired, is afraid of being alone and Juli can see it. 

"Diane, it's best for you to sleep. I will be there tomorrow, alright?"

This slightly reassures her and she lies down on the bed. Juli smiles at her, wishing her good night before leaving the room, unsure of what to do next. How to solve this case. No one is safe. Those monsters have the possibility to kill again. And being linked to Mobius and to STEM, she can be a victim. _"This will never stop. Mobius was right…They will never leave."_

She was going to reach her car in the parking lot when she feels that same chill down her spine again. This time, she can't ignore it. Looking around her is fruitless, there is no one. However, she ends up hearing a bloodcurdling voice. 

"You." Gasping, she turns around only to find herself face to face with Ruvik. Exactly like in STEM. He pronounced the same word as Sebastian did, but this time she knows she won't be able to make it. He's right there, in front of her, a murderous look on his face. He really got out of STEM. 

"They spared you…You failed…"

She can't even say a word, but instinctively gets her gun out. Stoic, Ruvik disarms her with a flip of his hand, throwing the weapon away. 

"You are still confident in the fact that a bullet in the head is going to take me down. Huge mistake, Kid." 

"Don't get any closer, Ruvik! I know you've managed to free yourself. I'm only asking you to leave me alone, I've got nothing to do with you anymore!"

Ruvik savors this fear that still fuels him, still walking toward her. 

"Really? You are once again tied to a case in which you can play a role. I saw you with the child. You can protect her, but this time you can also save her, like you failed to do with Leslie."

"Leslie…He is…"

"Really cosy, inside my head." Smirking, Ruvik enjoys his victory. "He's not going to get out anytime soon. I told you he would be my vessel. From one way or another, him and I were destined to be one."

Juli's heart starts beating faster, as she expects to die at any moment now. 

"You're not going to hurt me?"

Following this question, Ruvik wraps a hand around her neck and shoves her against the car. She can't bring herself to take her eyes away from this piercing gaze. 

"Stay away from me or Leslie and I will spare you. I will even be kind enough to let you investigate on this case in your own way. But if you try anything against me, what Mobius made you endure will be nothing compared to what I will do to you."

_He's a monster…Even if Leslie is in his mind, he's still a monster…I need to be careful._

"I won't do anything against you, Ruvik. I care about my life."

"As awful as it is, you shouldn't." He spats while brutally releasing her. 

"Sebastian knows you came back, doesn't he?"  
Hearing this name, Ruvik takes a deep breath as if he was trying to stop himself from screaming. Juli notices it.

"He didn't do anything to you…And he didn't do anything to me either."  
Where is she trying to go with this? He gives her a fierce look and lets her pursue, trying to stop himself from hurting her. 

"I betrayed him…And you hurt him. But he forgave us…This man is outstanding. Do you realize that? Let's try not to kill each other. He doesn't deserve this."  
Even though his blood is boiling, Ruvik smirks once again. 

"Oh, I see, so you have a little crush on him?"

She stays silent and he suddenly disappears without another word. Juli slowly sits down on the floor under the shock and takes a deep breath. At the second Ruvik showed himself she only wanted a thing: to die. Because that's the kind of feelings he can generate. He's back, all flesh and bones, but with Leslie inside his mind? And the worst thing is that him and Sebastian already met. She saw something…When she talked about Sebastian, Ruvik's eyes were displaying an emotion for a short moment. But she can't read it. Anyway, with Ruvik around she will feel even more insecure but she will try to stay careful and do her job. He's giving her the chance to do it.

Motionless, Ruvik stays for a moment on the porch of his manor, gazing at the starts. The autopsy is done and it was a delight to find this woman again and terrorize her. And above all, to make her understand that he will keep an eye on her.  
He can hear strange sounds around him. Demonic sounds. Identical to those in STEM. A part of him is glad to know that there will be victims…He can't erase this morbid and sadistic part of him. Nothing can erase it. That's what he has become. But another part of him somehow forces him to investigate and stop this. Leslie is the cause of this. The innocence of his mind.   
Ruvik walks back inside the manor and stands for a long moment in the hall, looking at the family portrait. Especially at Laura. This is something he will never cease to do. To look at her, like she was there with him. 

_"I would give everything to be with you again. This is probably one of the few things I really want that has nothing to do with Leslie's mind. I will find a way, Laura. I love you."_

A few words he can only think. Words he will never say out loud.


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this new chapter !!!!! thank you for all your kudos and comments <3 I hope i give you happiness with my story like it did to me :)

The next day, Sebastian comes back to the hospital to see Diane like he promised her. The day had first taken a wrong turn, as his coworkers announced him there had been a few murders the past night. Bodies were found in the same condition as Diane's mother. He will need to warn Ruvik about it. Sebastian hopes the man will still want to team up with him.   
As soon as he reaches the girl's room, Sebastian sees Kidman and two other people, probably from Diane's family. He slowly knocks on the door and Diane immediately runs to him, throwing her arms around his waist. 

"You came back."

She's a lot more friendly. Sebastian doesn't know how to feel about it and runs a hand through her hair, smiling.

"Of course. I promised you."

Then his eyes drift to the member's of Diane's family. 

"Hello. I'm inspector Castellanos. I'm responsible for the case…"

"We know." The man answers nicely. "I'm her uncle and this is Gaelle, Diane's cousin. We came here to take her home with us. Thank you for your help and your kindness, Diane talked a lot about you."

Sebastian can't help but be embarrassed at the man's words. Mainly because he's used to introduce himself as "the inspector there to assist people in need", but also because Diane apparently mentioned him more than once to her uncle. 

"He helped me a lot." And there she was, with her kind words. He can't be mad at her, but he still can't shake the image of Lily out of his mind every time he sees Diane. Sebastian eventually kneels down in front of her. 

"Don't worry about it, Diane. That's our job."

"Do you promise me we will see each other again?"

"Of course, we promise you." Juli replies while running a hand on the child’s back. The girl wraps her arms around them both, her eyes filled with tears. After that, Diane and her family eventually leave the hospital, not without saying goodbye with her hand. She has a tired smile on her face, but it's also full of love. 

"I have their address if we want to pay her a visit." Kidman declares, giving Sebastian a piece of paper. Nodding, he walks out of the room. But Juli is determined and she follows him while trying to talk about the case.

"Did you see the news?"  
He stops dead in his tracks. 

"This will probably be worse than in STEM." Sebastian answers in a serious tone. « Back there, they were not real, but here…here they're all around us. And they're taking innocent lives. If it's to fuck shit up, they could at least help us and kill some criminals!" He says bitterly, dying to lit up a cigarette. Juli tries to keep herself from angering him even more, but can't hide the information about her encounter from the night before. 

"Ruvik showed himself to me."

Sebastian abruptly turns around. 

"He told me some things…Sebastian, you need to be careful, alright? He's still dangerous."

Sighing, he slowly massages his nape with a hand. "He won't do anything to me."

"How can you be so sure?" Kidman asks, confused and suspicious. "You know what he's capable of…"

"He's not the issue right now, okay? I don't want to talk about him for now."

Her failure in keeping Sebastian calm is obvious. That's the kind of reactions she can get from him by mentioning Ruvik. Perhaps the lunatic isn't the problem yet but…It's still Ruvik they're talking about. 

"I understand. I'm sorry. But I'm only asking you to be careful, that's all."

Sebastian is already calming down and despite everything he still gets the warning coming from Kidman. But since a few days, he has been taking everything that concerned Ruvik as a personal matter. He tries

to keep an eye on him in order to avoid any danger the man could cause to the whole world. However, it is much more difficult for him to accept the fact that he is also keeping an eye on the man to stop Ruvik

from doing something stupid to himself. 

A few hours later he was still at the hospital, talking with Kidman. As soon as they started talking about Mobius, it was like time had stopped. She was a puppet to Mobius, they all were. Even Ruvik was, all things considered. 

When thoughts about Ruvik popped into his head again, Sebastian wanted nothing more than to smash it against the wall. _"Apparently our connection in the real world is starting to become too strong"_. As their conversation progresses, he notices that Kidman starts hesitating when speaking. Especially when it concernes the ones that lead Mobius. He wants to know more about it but needs to stay careful. 

"We can't contact them, it could be dangerous. They will try to find Ruvik and we don't need that. It would be a mess, and not a pretty one." 

Kidman frowns. "You want to protect him? Please, Sebastian…"

Sighing, he silently prays she won't try to lecture him again. He knows what he is doing.  
"

If we don't find a way to stop this possession or contamination…" Kidman starts, seeing Sebastian's annoyance. "We will be forced to contact them. They will find a solution. I will probably be the only one able to convince them."

_"They will give us a solution if we give them Ruvik in exchange. They're not as stupid as they seem, I'm sure of it."_ Sebastian thinks bitterly but chooses to stay silent about it.

"Do you have a plan, Sebastian? When you're on a case, you always find a way. That's why you always make it out alive." She gives him a gentle smile. Sebastian knows she admires him, that's why he freed her.

From now on they have a real partnership, he won't betray her. 

"We need to team up with Ruvik. He will be of great help, trust me. But we know that those people, once contaminated, are gone. The only thing we can do to keep them from suffering for too long is to kill them. Diane's mother had no chance of surviving. So if we find other victims…it will be like in STEM. As for Mobius, I hope we won't have to contact them. I don't trust them. »

"But you trust Ruvik?" Juli can't stop herself from asking him this question. 

"Yes." He answers, looking at her right in the eyes. 

A few minutes of silence follow until Kidman remembers something she wanted to tell Sebastian. Perhaps it will give him some hope.

"I wanted to tell you something. About Joseph."

Hearing this name, Sebastian looks at her with confusion written all over his face. 

"He's dead, I know." He answers harshly.

"No…I thought he was dead too but…before you left, Mobius took him to, well, possibly to use him as a guinea pig."

Sebastian's pulse starts to speed up. Where is she trying to go with this? He's not dead…?

"A guinea pig? What do you mean by that?"

"I wasn't put in the confidence. But they brought him in a room full of people and connected him to STEM again. I don't know why. The SWAT team found him and…He was brought there."

For Sebastian, this was a shock. Joseph was there, and alive. 

"And you're only telling me now?"

"That's why I wanted us to stay in this hospital. I needed to talk to you."

"Do you know his room's number?"

Juli slowly nods. " _She goddamn knows everything. She probably knows even more than what she just shared…Joseph…"_

Sebastian gets up, trying to deal with what he just learnt, then asks Kidman to lead him to Joseph. 

"The last time I heard about him he was still unconscious, but safe. I'm really sorry for everything that happened, Sebastian."

The man stays silent, unable to think of something to say, until his voice finally rises. 

"It's okay, don't worry about it. I need to see him."

They both walk to the part of the building in which Joseph is and notice that the doctor is there. 

"He just woke up. You two arrived at the perfect time."

"How is he?" Sebastian asks, anxious. 

"He was out for a while and sustained a cranial trauma, as if he was severely beaten up."

_Mobius…Those bastards_. The doctor keeps informing them on Joseph's condition, who is now out of danger anyway.

"Can I see him?" Asks Sebastian with hope. Wincing, the doctor eventually nods. He leads him to Joseph's room, where the man is lying on the bed. As soon as he sees Sebastian and Kidman, he cracks a smile.

Juli smiles back at him but stays near the exit, leaving the two men alone. She eventually leaves, feeling like she owe them some time alone. When Sebastian and Joseph look at her, they only see a traitor. She hopes everything will get better. 

"Nice to see you." Sebastian starts, walking closer to his friend's bed. Something he already said in STEM. "Again."

"And you…you are a survivor…" Joseph answers weakly, even though he still gives Sebastian a comforting smile. Then, he tries to explain the situation. He doesn't remember anything apart from those headaches, and a single desire: to kill. He's also able to remember a creature with a hammer and a safe where its head should be. Sebastian, who had until now listened to Joseph without interrupting him, opens his mouth. 

"You made it out of there alive, Joseph. I think you did it because you managed to control this thing inside your head, whatever it was."

Now it's Sebastian's turn to explain himself to his friend and god knows he has a lot of explaining to do. He even tells him about Ruvik. Joseph stays silent for a few seconds until his voice can be heard in a whisper.

"God…"

"Sorry for not coming to talk about the weather. It's terrible. Anyway, I'm glad to see you back with us."

"Seb…I want to help. With this case. »

"No, Joseph." He quickly replies. "Don't try to be a hero. I'm not supposed to remind you tha last time, it almost killed you."

"I will be very careful, I promise. I fought against…things, back in STEM…I don't want to leave this behind me. This is my whole life, now."

"And your family?"

Joseph's thoughts goes to his daughter…then his wife. He closes his eyes, trying to fight against the headache that's already making its way through his tired brain. 

"I will go see them. But I want to make sure everything is safe first."

Sebastian can't help but be worried about his best friend. However, he has to admit the man's support is beneficial. He eventually gives in, smiling.

"Alright. But you need to be careful, I don't want anything to happen to you again."

Suddenly, as if coming out of nowhere, there's a chill down his spine. And it looks like he's the only one to feel it, as Joseph glares at him with a worried look. 

"Sebastian?" The detective turns around and spots a shape at the end of the corridor. Spectral and…beautiful. 

"Ruvik…" He whispers, the chill down his spine soon forgotten as he now has a warm feeling inside his chest. At the second the other man appears, it's like they are the only two people around. Like nothing else exists anymore. It has always been this way between them. Ruvik glances at him with the same usual rage. Those eyes, always fueled by fury and ice. And he has a reason.   
Ruvik sees Sebastian walking toward him. Forgetting poor little Joseph. Like he once did, by forgetting Jimenez and Leslie. Satisfied by it, he smirks. _It's something you will always do. I will forever have this control on you._

Sebastian then sees Ruvik slowly walking away, like he usually does. Still looking at him with this deep gaze. Stop playing games. He runs after him as if they were back in this morbid world. He feels guilty for leaving Joseph behind but when Ruvik is there, Sebastian can only be with him, or confront him.  
He eventually finds him outside, in front of the hospital, where it’s starting to rain. However, the rain doesn't seem to bother him, as he stands still. Like he was made of marble. Sebastian is now walking toward him at an even slower pace, fearing for an unpredictable move from the lunatic. 

"Ruvik?" The man turns around with a smirk, but he somehow still looks at Sebastian with an icy glare. 

"There was a lot of reunions this week, don't you think?"

Sebastian understands the allusion to Joseph. 

"He was my coworker and best friend for years, and you know it." Sebastian answers. "I had to be by his side."

"I understood this from what I saw in STEM." Ruvik replies with mockery. "And I don't see why you're trying so hard to justify yourself, Seb."

"I just want things to be clear. But I don't want our arrangement to end. You and I, we're still a team."

"You found your partners again." This time, the man's tone is sharper. "You don't need me anymore. I just wanted to let you know that I had discovered some interesting things while studying the body."

"For god's sake, Ruvik…Respect her, she was a mother."

"Well, it's nothing more than a body now."

Sebastian looks away, frustrated. Ruvik will always keep this cruel and pitiless part of him. That's who he is.

"And? What did you find?" He tries his best to show he isn't affected by the man's comportment and Ruvik doesn't miss it. It makes him smile. 

"It allowed me to work with flesh again, real flesh. She was contaminated by a creature from STEM, as I told you."

"We need to find those creatures and stop them from making more victims!"

"This isn't my problem."

"For fuck's sake, Ruvik…I need you in this case, now more then ever! Stop being arrogant for once!"

This time, Ruvik doesn't answer but keeps walking in direction of Sebastian until his forehead is barely pressed against the man's temple. As he whispers, he can hear the sound of Sebastian's fast heartbeat.

"Keep playing best friends with him, but beware. No one gets out of STEM without consequences. Never forget that."

He steps back, making sure Sebastian is looking at him in the eyes. Then, he turns around and starts to walk away.

"Ruvik! I'm only asking one thing from you…Don't go back there. You know what I'm talking about."

Oh, he knows. But he's barely listening to Sebastian. He's going to go back there, where he's supposed to be. To stay with her. That's the only thing he wants. And he feels like he's not the only one who is at peace in this place. Leslie is, too.  
Seeing it's useless to hope Ruvik will listen to him, Sebastian can only grit his teeth. A few weeks ago, all he wanted was to hurt Ruvik. For everything the killer did to him. To him and to the others…so many people…To hurt him and never see him again. Now, however, he wants to be there for him. It seems unbelievable, but Sebastian accepts it. Ruvik will have to do the same thing, sooner or later. 

_You won't get rid of me so easily. Not after everything that happened. I will find you again. And you will listen to me._


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's the new chapter with the famous trio Sebastian,Joseph and Juli ready to be a team again :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4omnq4YETA Ost to listen for the beginning :)

Diane hears a voice…Her mother's voice. She knows she's dreaming. Her mother is gone. But she can see her now, looking tenderly at Diane. She keeps saying she's sorry for everything that happened. And that she will always love her. There's a huge flower field around them, mostly made of lilies. Those were her favorite flowers. Diane only wants a thing: to run in direction of her mother and stay with her. The scenery suddenly changes and the lilies become sunflowers. While the sky was a shade of blue and gray, it is now a bright orange. The cold and humid atmosphere changes to something hot and dry. Someone walks to her mother and stands next to the woman. It's a black-haired girl, wearing a beautiful red dress. The girl herself is beautiful and smiles at Diane, her piercing blue gaze showing extreme kindness. The girl tells her she's gonna take her of her mother now. 

Then comes a little girl who seems to be around Diane's age. She's got brown curly hair and blue eyes…that reminds her of another person.  
Diane looks at the three smiling people in front of her. She never felt more appeased in her whole life. 

"I wanna stay with you." She says without thinking twice about it. This place is so beautiful. "Mom, please let me stay with you."

"Sweetheart…you're still alive." Answers her mother on an extremely soft tone. "You're dreaming. That's what's allowing me, Laura and Lily to contact you."

 _Laura…Lily_ …So those are the names of these two girls. Her mother gently strokes her face, and Diane closes her eyes. She can hear her mother whispering. 

"You shouldn't have been put through that. You're just a child."

This is Laura's turn to speak in a sad tone. "Like my brother, Ruben. He was just a child. I can still see him mourning, crying over my death. I want to see him happy, free, even though I want to be with him. Like before."

Ruben…This girl's face reminds her of someone…That mysterious man dressing in white…burnt. This girl is his sister? She might even be more than that.

Eventually, Lily talks. She seems so fragile, so lost…

"My daddy is the best I could have asked for. He's so sweet…But also so sad since I left…I don't want to see him sad anymore. Help him."

Diane almost stops breathing when she understands the little girl is talking about Sebastian. Those people…Those three people have all been mourned by three other people. A mother, a sister and a child.

Nothing worse than loosing a family member. 

Before anything else can happen, Diane feels like someone or something is shaking her, and she suddenly wakes up in her bed. Her oncle is there, a worried look on his face. 

"Diane, are you alright? I couldn't wake you up."

"Oncle Tom…No. I'm alright, I just had a dream…"

"A dream?" Her oncle knows that when she dreams, there's always a hidden meaning. "What did you dream about?"

"I dreamt about mommy…and other dead people…Oncle tom, it was more than a dream. They talked to me…"

"Diane…Sometimes it's nothing more than a dream. And you were quite shaken up recently…"

"It wasn't! I know it. Everything had a meaning. Promise me that I'll get to see the detective Castellanos again. Please."

It takes a few seconds for her uncle to answer, as allowing her to do so would put her in danger again. And that's something he doesn't want to happen. But he can't turn down her request after what happened to her. 

"Alright. Alright, I promise you will."

Did she just see where people go after their death? Does it really exist?

  
Bill Walter stays at his desk for a long time, in an empty building owned by Mobius. He doesn't have any reason to get out of this world anymore. He has seen so many things since Ruvik's imprisonment. It didn't last long, but he will forever be the most fascinating subject Bill has ever seen. A part of him feels bad as he remembers what was done to the man. He was Mobius's victim. They mutilated him. All those experiments…He didn't know it was going to go as far as this.  
Now since Ruvik is on the run and probably looking for the remaining members of Mobius, Bill is probably a dead man. He remembers…the few words Ruvik spoke when they detained him. It was mostly a name. _Laura_. He knows about her, about the reason why Ruvik was dreaming of a world where he would be reunited with her.  
Bill finds some old case files that used to belong to Jimenez. Notes. About STEM, Ruvik, Leslie and many other things. Curious, he starts reading one of them. 

**"He took him…I'm sure of it. As soon as he learnt about their compatibility, it became an obsession. Ruben had never been so obstinate to find someone before this. I tried to warn Mobius, but they seemed rather satisfied with the situation. They don't realize that if Ruben finds Leslie, it will be the end for us. ‘It would be a major progress in our researches' they kept saying. What are they truly looking for? What am I becoming myself? I need to find Ruben. I should have seen this coming. He kept claiming Leslie belonged to him. That he always get what he's destined to get…He succeeded. I need to talk to Mobius. And to learn more about this. "**

**"My god…forgive me. I am facing a critical situation. Until now, science had always given me satisfaction, success. Ruben dethroned me. Mobius wants to know him. They want to give him a place in this STEM project, but he only designed the machine! But if only…bringing him to them could stop him from getting to Leslie…Leslie is mine. I finally managed to find a subject that is entirely under my control. Even if they are truly compatible, Ruben won't have him."**

And he got him. And everything went to hell. Bill has to protect himself, Ruvik can strike at any moment now.  
  
Joseph is patiently waiting in his hospital room for the doctor who will allow him to go home when he hears someone knowing on his door. It's Kidman. He gives her a soft smile. 

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yes. It was about time. I don't know how long I was there."

She sits down next to him. "You stayed there for months. It took you a long time to recover."

"You were there the whole time?"

Juli nods. She secretly kept an eye on him, feeling guilty for his condition. She couldn't find Sebastian and didn't know anyone from Joseph's family. 

"Everything that happened in STEM wasn't your fault, Kidman."

"Of course it was. I had a mission and I almost got you killed. You and Sebastian. 

"I tried to hurt you too, didn't I?"

She remembers a few moments, where he attacked her and tried to kill her with his gun. She could only defend herself with an axe, running in despair. 

"Yes. But you were possessed."

"What are we going to do? Sebastian accepted – but reluctantly – my help."

"We need to locate those creatures before they can contaminate anyone, or even kill."

"STEM…got mixed up with the real world…Because we survived?"

"Yes. We are the cause of what is currently happening in the real world but…I don't think it happened when Sebastian got out. He changed things in STEM."

He thought he had killed Ruvik. 

"We need to find him. »

"Yes, he’s at the police department."

Nodding, Joseph feels ready. However, there's still some hesitation left inside of him, so he takes Kidman's hand to appease himself. He can see she's worrying and he knows she's a strong woman, even more than he first thought. That's why he's attracted to her.  
Someone suddenly knocks on the door and Sebastian walks inside the room, his lips curving upward in a smile. Joseph gets up, happy to see him. 

"Weren't you at the police department?"

"Ugh…I needed to go out and think about something else. Nice to see you recovered, though." He says while putting a hand on Joseph's shoulder. "But take it easy, okay? I'll take us back to the police department."

Caring for Joseph's condition, Sebastian takes the man's luggages. No one really talks during the ride as they're all thinking about the case. While driving, Sebastian often looks at his colleagues behind him. That's something he often did before, and it reminds him of their arrival at Beacon.  
He gets out of the car to help Joseph and breathe some fresh air, but his mind is full of thoughts about someone in particular. _"For fuck's sake…get out of my head, at least for a few seconds."_  
At the police department, everyone is here to welcome Joseph back. Sebastian waits patiently in his office and takes advantage of his time alone to have a closer look at the files concerning the newest victims, all found with injuries similar to the ones Diane's mother had. It's awful. Sebastian feels completely powerless. He should be more competent! He fought against those monsters! But in the real world, everything seems different.  
Joseph walks inside the room and immediately goes to his desk, which makes Sebastian smile. 

"Are you planning on seeing your family soon?"

"I…I'm waiting for the right moment. I know it's selfish." He answers with a sad tone in his voice. "I can't wait to see them again. But as long as this case remains unsolved, I'd rather stay away from them. The threat is still there. I can still…I don't want to hurt them." 

Sebastian was going to answer when Juli joins them. "So we're back together. Safe and sound. We should stick together in order to find those monsters."  
Sighing, Sebastian lights up a cigarette. The day was going to be long. Indeed, they spend hours studying the case and the victims. Everything reminds them of the haunted from STEM. From time to time, Joseph feels quite tired but tries to reassure his colleagues by telling them he's fine. Mainly Sebastian. They all try to find the best way to catch the next haunted…there will be others. " _If only Ruvik could see us…Stuck_ _like idiots in our office, resuming our routine…"_ It's all they can do for now. In the real world, their skills are limited. At least, that's what it feels like. 

"They probably lure their victims to isolated places." Joseph declares as he reads again and again the files. "Doesn't they have…some preferences?"

"Like what?" Kidman asks, as she tries to focus on another file. 

"Note that they attack people who are from the same age. Children and elders weren't targeted. The victims seem to be between 30 to 50 years old. Is there a reason to this?"

Indeed, all the victims have this age. Sebastian's voice rises up, a bit of bitterness in his tone. "A child and an old person wouldn't last five seconds against such a force. And those monsters know it. They want to torture their victims as long as possible." Joseph thinks about his daughter. If they're right, she wouldn't in danger.  
Then, they find themselves studying the time of the attacks. Of course, it's during night. 

"We'll go, all three of us. We're the most concerned by it, we shouldn't send the others. They wouldn't understand. Hell, they don't even understand what's happening right now." Sebastian says. 

Ruvik was right. Again. Most of the other agents and inspectors already dropped the case. It's beyond them. But Sebastian won't give up. Even if he has to fight all alone. He takes a deep breath after many hours of work. His partners are as exhausted as he is. 

"Joseph, you need to go home." Sebastian says out of the blue. Joseph stares at him with a pained look. 

"Sebastian…I told you…"

Once again, Sebastian answers without thinking twice about it. "Then come to my apartment." He gets up, giving him the keys to his apartment. 

"There's a guest room, feel free to use it until you're ready to be reunited with your family. You'll be safe."

It's true Joseph is likely to be in danger again. What happened to him in STEM can happens to him in the real world. He slowly takes the keys, thankful for it. "Thank you, Seb."

"Don't thank me. I almost got killed while trying to get your glasses back in STEM, so this isn't a big deal." He jokes. Then Sebastian turns his head to look at Kidman, walking closer to her. 

"Are you gonna be okay?"

She, too, can be a target. Being a former member of Mobius, she could be attacked by anyone. Sebastian learnt to trust her, he has to help her now that she freed him from STEM. 

"Don't worry about me." She replies with a smile. "We'll track them together. But right now, I'm going to go home. Nothing will happen to me. "

Had they been alone, she probably would have put a hand on his cheek. At the other side of the room, Joseph can see that Sebastian has something on his mind. 

"You're not going home? Is that it?"

"As I said, feel free to use the guest room. I'll come back later. Take care of yourself, both of you. I need to…do something."

He can't tell them exactly where he plans on going. That's why he leaves without saying another word. Juli grinds her teeth, knowing what he's going to do, or more precisely who he's going to meet. Joseph tries to question her. 

"What's happening?" He remembers when Sebastian left him alone for a moment during their reunion at the hospital. "I wasn't dreaming…Was he really there? Sebastian told me about this before…"  
Juli slowly nods as Joseph tries to contain his anger. 

"He can hurt him! And us!"

"Let him do what he wants to do. You know that when he has something on his mind, he doesn't give up."

For a brief moment, Joseph feels something he can only describe as jealousy. How did this man manage to monopolize Sebastian's attention? To come first before anything else? After everything he did. Even though he trusts Sebastian, Joseph knows that Ruvik will never win his trust. He has all the reason to think so…

"I'm going to his apartment. And I will wait for him."  
  
Sebastian stays inside the car for a long moment, away from everything. Away from the police department, away from civilization. He grips the steering wheel, pondering on his next action.  
He needs to see _him_. And it doesn't matter if he wants it or not, he needs to be with him. The detective feels a strong force drawing him to Ruvik. He sighs, realizing how strong their bond is. He needs him in this case. This isn't even a case anymore, but a fight. And Ruvik has the most vital role.  
Starting the car, Sebastian feels more determined than ever as he drives to the Victoriano mansion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Ruvik in this chapter but Sebastian won't leave him ! Next chapter...You'll know about Ruben's dark path after Laura's death..I hope you love my story and that i make you dream for a little while when you read my chapters ^^


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's happened to Ruben after the fire...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this new chapter so touching and sad...
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwdagVrZU5Y Here the ost to listen while you reading ^^

  
Ruvik walks into this room, a room which he had denied the existence ever since he got out of it during his eighteenth year. He remembers his mother's crying voice, yelling and desperate to know where her son was. She was sure he was still alive. Her husband, however, was less patient than he was after his son's supposed death and even ended up using violence to keep her quiet. He can still hear those cries full of terror and pain. Ruvik remembers _everything_. 

He stays still in front of the crucifix above the door, the only thing he was able to see back when he was confined between those walls, thanks to the few candles that did their best to illuminate only a part of what he considered to be his jail. In his hands are matches and something else he clamps against him. A medallion. Without his consent, new memories rush back to him. Leslie is getting unsettled too, he can feel it. Closing his eyes, he tries to keep a single face on his mind. His sister's face.

 

_**Flash Back :** _

Ruben opens his eyes at the sound of voices and murmurs that seem close to him. But everything is so blurry he can't exactly figure out where he currently is, why he is laying down. He can't remember anything. But it hurts. It hurts so much it feels like a torture. His face, hands, chest, everything is hurting. Until finally, he can see shapes coming quickly in his direction.  
One of them takes a hold of his head and ask him to look up. He can't. Everything is confused in his mind until suddenly all he can see is the flames. He hears screams too, he can see the flames consuming his frail body, his sister screaming his name and then he can remember the worst of all, Laura saving him at the cost of her own life. He remembers convulsing and then trying to get up to find her, screaming her name at the top of his lungs. Tears are relentlessly running down his cheeks as he refuses to give up. No, she can't be dead. Not her, not the only person he cares about. The only person he loves. His sweet Laura.

"Laura! Laura, I want to see her! NO!"

People are standing around him now, trying to keep him away from the burning barn, or rather what's left of it. They try to get him to calm down but he doesn't listen to them, he refuses, he wants to see her, to be with her.

"Ruben! Calm down! Breathe." He doesn't recognizes those people but he simply doesn't care about it. All he wants is Laura. He keeps squirming in an attempt to free himself but eventually ends up giving up after a few seconds, kneeling down on the ground. The tears are still there and one of the people kneels down next to him in order to help him up. However, the person's efforts are unsuccessful as Ruben cowers and keeps crying for his sister. 

It hurts to much. All the burns are unbearable but it's nothing compared to what he feels inside. His mind screams, his heart is bruised. He can't stop himself from whispering his sister's name.  
When he wakes up, it's to the sound of footsteps nearby. Completely exhausted, he's laying on a bed. He doesn't have the strength to scream nor cry anymore. The pain in his body is bearable now, Ruben can see badges wrapped all around his hands, chest but also his face. He probably looks like a monster now…  
The footsteps that are becoming louder belong to a woman now standing next to his bed, carrying a tray. On it, he can see a bowl of soup and a glass of water. However, no matter how much his body needs it, Ruben turns his head away from it. 

"Ruben, you have to eat." She says in a soft but authoritarian voice. "I won't leave until you eat at least something."

Why can't they leave him alone? Why can't they leave him to die? Or why can't they at least let him go, let him find Laura. She must be in the house, injured like him or in a hospital. She can't be dead, right? The woman sighs and tries to feed him with a spoon, but he brutally throws it to the other side of the room with the back of his hand. 

"You need to gather strength."

"I'm not hungry." Ruben says without even looking at her. "I want to see my sister."

"First you need to get better. Your father is going to come here to see you in a few minutes."

As the woman mentions his father, he can feel the knots inside his stomach. Only his father? The barn burnt down, he must be furious…And Ruben is going to have to endure another one of his bursts of anger. His father never loved him due to the fact that they share different beliefs about life. Ruben lives for science. His father, on the other hand, devoted his own life to religion. Laura has always been his only support, the only one who wasn't afraid to stand against her father should he become violent. 

"You were unconscious for too many days." She hopes for a reaction from Ruben. "Taking care of your burns wasn't the easiest thing. It took a while."

And Laura? Where is she? Maybe she will come with their father to surprise him? Like she used to do. Ruben finally opens his eyes, hoping for it.  
Hearing footsteps, the nurse turns around and gets up. Those footsteps…Ruben knows they're from his father. When he turns his head, he's ready to face this cold and harsh face. But he expect to see another face, sweet and welcoming. But there's nothing like this. His father stands alone next to the doorway. Saddened, the young boy lowers his head. 

"He refuses to eat, Mister Victoriano. I've tried everything." The nurse whispers to his ear. She seems preoccupied. His father, however, sounds nothing but annoyed. 

"Never mind." He retorts coldly. Taking a step closer to his son who's still looking at him, unable to break eye contact despite the pain. Ernesto shakes his head, horrified by the state in which Ruben is currently is. His gaze is still as cold as before. Ruben can't help but wonder what his next will be. Will he yell at him like he often did before?

"Get up, we have to go." He orders on a dry tone and doesn't even try to help his son to get up. The nurse does it instead. Ruben whimpers at the pain but still gets up, not daring to look at his father. Oh, how he wishes he could just disappear.  
This time, Ernesto put a hand on his son's back with the sole purpose of making him move, and move faster. The nurse stares at him with a look full of sadness for the poor boy.  
Inside the car, Ernesto doesn't say anything. The only thing he does is to stare at the road impassively. Ruben, on the other hand, looks at his father and his injured hands, wondering if and when he will dare looking at himself in a mirror.  
The first thing Ruben notices as they arrive to the mansion is the burnt barn he can see away from it. Completely destroyed. He has tears in his eyes but isn't even able to cry. His father is soon standing next to him, holding their belongings. 

"Follow me." He stays still on the same tone. Ruben is still convinced that dying is a better option than going back inside the mansion. Better than the icy and dark atmosphere of this building. 

"Ruben!"

This time, the poor scared boy runs to the front of the house and stays close to this man who doesn't cease to terrify him. Once inside, Ruben can't stop himself from blenching as his father clams the door, the sound resonating in the hall. Then, the silence. Where is his mother?

"Your mother is with your aunt." Ernesto suddenly says as if he read inside his son's mind. "She will return soon. Follow me, I am going to take you somewhere."

Where? His father was walking toward the back door when Ruben calls for him. "Father? Where is Laura? Is she alright? Is she in another hospital or…"  
The shaking in his voice stops him from pursuing and delivering the rest of his thoughts. 

"She's dead." His father simply reveals as he turns around. 

At this exact moment, Ruben feels like his heart stopped beating, like the whole world stopped moving. Nothing exist around him anymore. He doesn't feel anything. Neither his legs nor his arms. He can't even think. All he sees is a shape made of red and long black hair. 

"You're lying…" He whispers, closing his fists. Ernesto ears it nonetheless and grabs his son's arm, forcing him to follow. 

"Don't ever accuse me of lying! Now get inside this room before your mother returns!"  
Hardly a second later, Ruben finds himself locked inside a secret room in the basement, full of candles and with a crucifix on the wall. 

"There is no way people can see you like that! You look like…I don't even know what you look like anymore!"

Ernesto quickly installs some blankets and other belongings to form a makeshift bed. Blinded by rage, Ruben throws himself on his father. "Don't lock me away! You have no right to do this!" However, his small frame doesn't stand a chance against his father, who grabs Ruben's arm again without even thinking about his burns and shakes him in order to silence him. 

"Be quiet and listen to me, you monster!"

Feeling like he is paralyzed, Ruben's eyes widen a he stares at his father with dread. 

"You're going to stay in there until I decide otherwise and you better behave. Forget about what you've done, forget about science! You deserve what happened to you! By turning your back to God you caused your sister's death! If I hear a single noise coming from you Ruben, you will regret it."

By throwing his son against the ground and leaving him there, Ernesto seals Ruben's fate by forcing him to stay inside this room, or rather this jail. The boy can't even move an arm, appalled by what is currently happening to him. Tears are running down his cheeks and no sound comes out of his mouth as his father, the real monster, gets out of the room and closes the door behind him, locking his son inside. He can ear footsteps until after a few seconds, there's nothing but silence.  
The young boy then lays down on the floor, completely motionless, for hours. He doesn't think he will even be able to survive such an emotional shock. He can't accept Laura's passing. So full of life, always a fighter. It's impossible. His father doesn't know anything. She will come back. It's the only thought that keeps him _alive._  
Some voices are reaching his ears, including his father's cold one. But there's also a feminine voice, could it be…Laura? No, those are cries. His mother's. He attempts to look through the keyhole, hoping not to get caught. He would love nothing more than to get out of this room, but who knows what would happen if he was seen or heard…  
His mother is crying, constantly asking about her children's fate. And his father keeps telling her that they're both dead. Exactly like he announced Laura's death to Ruben. No…Ruben's father is lying to his wife. He isn't dead, he's injured, and in need. So if Ernesto can so easily lie to his wife, perhaps he lied as well about Laura… _Traitor_ …  
Days and night have passed and Ruben's state is weakening. Ernesto hardly comes to see him, the sole purpose of his visits is to give him food and water or to wash him when his mother isn't in the mansion. Why lock him away, why make him suffer rather than killing him if he's a nuisance? He has always been a nuisance to his father.  
His mother has doubts, as she's sure she can hear her son's voice from time to time. Ruben can hear his father lying to her, telling her that she must be hallucinating. She keeps asking why the door to the basement is always locked but Ernesto never answers. A traitor, a liar and a coward. 

The desire to slash this traitor's throat becomes stronger every day, as Ruben's father keeps proclaiming that God only will seal his fate and decide to keep him alive or not. A part of Ruben still wishes to die and be reunited with Laura, because how could she still be alive in such a cruel world? Only monsters can live in this world. The real monsters. But another part of him strongly believes there's still so much things for him to do and discover. He feels it. Science is the only thing that can keep him in this world. A passion that never went away. Laura never really understood this passion for science but always supported him.  
Today, as always, Ruben has only been allowed a bowl of soup and water. But he tends to lost his appetite. He would love to have something to hold onto, to forget this horrible place in which he's detained since months as well as his mother's cries and the sound of his father hitting her to force her to retreat into silence and forget her own son. Her Ruben, her "baby". She never stops calling for him. As she keeps crying over him, Ruben ends up wanting her to be quiet, as the contrary leads to Ernesto's anger. At this thought, he's afraid of finally starting to lose it, his humanity.  
Laying down on the floor, curled into a ball, Ruben suddenly hears hurried footsteps. The traitor that once pretended to be his father, again and again. Traitor who, as soon as he's inside the room, violently takes hold of Ruben's arm. Tells him it's bath time. Oh, how the boy hates those difficult moments. He only gets humiliated for the burns that are scattered all over his body. _"That what you get from teaming up_ _with God's enemy."_ His father says. Nonsense. Science is nobody's enemy. Science never asks for anything. It never asks to follow a particular path. It's only made for humans to discover. To explore. 

"Did you kill mother?" Ruben dares to ask. He wouldn't be surprised. 

"No. She is sleeping. _" Because you're exhausting her, traitor._ "Don't ever ask this question again."

As usual, Ernesto keeps mocking Ruben for how long it takes him to do anything because of his burns. As far as he's concerned, the bandages' only purpose is to hide the burns, nothing else.  
Ruben was getting ready to go back to what he called his jail when he suddenly got a glimpse of a cardboard box right in the middle of the hall. _"Laura"_ is written on it. The boy's heart tightens and without thinking twice about it he runs to the cardboard box and opens it. What he finds inside are exactly what he expected. All his precious sister's belongings. Clothes, embroideries, jewelry, pictures of her as a child. He can't contain his feelings. At the bottom of the box he finds a dried sunflower as well as a medallion, which brings back memories he thought gone.  
Clamping the medallion and flower against his frail body, he almost doesn't notice the calloused hand that grabs his shoulder. Soon another hand covers his mouth to stop him from screaming. He's now unable to scream but still holds the medallion against his chest.  
His father brings him back to the room in the basement where Ruben finds himself in complete darkness. Not even a candle. Nothing to warm him up. Ruben is shaking, desperately trying not to scream in anger, in frustration. Looking down, he stares at the sole picture of Laura he managed to keep, as well as the medallion. This necklace is Ruben's safe heaven.

_**Present** _

Staring one last time at the medallion, Ruvik puts it back inside his shirt and calm strikes a match. It took him a while, but he has learnt not to fear fire. Nothing scares him anymore. This place, this jail in which he spent eight long years of his life, it needs to be engulfed by flames and disappear once and for all. He mainly does it for Laura, to prove her that nothing will stop him from being reunited with her. He will go forward and finish what he started.  
Some noises are making their way to his ears, someone knocking against the door. He was striking a new match with his delicate and injured hands when two arms suddenly entwine around his waist. Out of fear and reminded of his father's behavior, Ruben can't help but instinctively scream. However, he soon notices that the gesture is far from being violent. He recognizes the person pressed against his back thanks to the man's sandalwood scent, but also to this strength…a protective strength.  
He's still agitated, and he and that person end up tripping over each other's feet and accidentally banging against the wall, eventually falling down on the floor. They're still pressed against each other. Then, there's nothing. Only silence. They stay in this position for a while, Ruvik's back pressed against that person's chest, the same person who refuses to let go of him.  
Ruvik eventually frees himself from the embrace and gets up, looking at Sebastian who is still sitting on the floor, breathing hard. Ruvik could have killed, in many different ways, but he didn't. He stares at him and for the first time, Sebastian can only see emotion in the glare Ruvik is throwing him. A glare that isn't cold nor inexpressive. Finally he hears Ruvik whisper, in a hoarse and shaking voice. 

_"You…Always you_. _"_


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moment of truth between Ruvik and Sebastian !

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ruseb chapter :) enjoy it !!!!

When Sebastian gets up, he does it without moving his eyes away from the match box Ruvik was holding. It's obvious in his eyes that he's doing his best to hold back his anger and keep it at bay. 

"Don't tell me you were going to do _that_." Ruvik stares at him for a while. He's probably even more furious than Sebastian as he walks back to the place he was before the detective's arrival, not even looking at the man. 

"Leave." He spats. 

"And leave you alone with your suicidal thoughts? Who the hell do you think I am?" Sebastian screams, still as angry as before. 

Those words are followed by Ruvik's bitter laugh as he turns around, still amused by Sebastian's naivety. 

"I wasn't going to kill myself, Sebastian." His eyes are full of mockery. 

"I didn't hear a word from you, you just completely disappeared even though we have a case to solve…"

"You have your foolish coworkers now." Ruvik answers but Sebastian is again quick to find a comeback. 

"It has nothing to do with this!"

This time, Ruvik gets closer to him and actually touches Sebastian as he pushes him back with such strength Sebastian can't help but be surprised. 

"Go. Away."

"No! You won't get rid of me so easily! I had to accustom to your world and you were there, always, stalking me, doing everything you wanted with me, trying to kill me or even just play me. You didn't give me a minute to breathe and now it's your turn to bear me, no matter if you want it or not! Go on, kill me if it annoys you so much! It's so easy, just raise your little finger!"

Once again, Ruvik starts to laugh. A cynical laugh, oh so amused. "You really can't spend too much time away from me can you, dear detective?" What he just said wasn't made to enrage Sebastian, in any way. It was just the truth, with a little fondness shown by how Ruvik has called him. And surprisingly, Sebastian answers without denying it. 

"Apparently I can't. Since STEM." _It's always since STEM_. "I was worried. Make fun of it if you want, I don't care."

"Seb…You would be worried for anything." The tension in the room drops and the atmosphere gets more pleasant. Sebastian even allows himself a soft laugh. "Touché."

During the silence that follows, only the sounds of birds and the wind can be heard. Sebastian eventually breaks the silence with a whisper, looking at the man who used to be his enemy. "Ruvik, I thought…"  
The burnt man looks at him for a long time before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "You were wrong." He eventually retorts and opens the door of his former jail. Sebastian steps inside, looking curiously around him. He can see a crucifix, candles whose wax has long since melted and words inscribed on the wall. 

_Laura_   
_She will come back_

Surprisingly, Ruvik eventually accepts to reveal more of his past to Sebastian. A past even more painful and cruel. The physical abuse from a father. 

"What the hell is this place?" Sebastian stays incredulous, shaken by all those dreadful informations. To Ruvik, it's a bit appealing to see him like this. 

"This place depicts things that you should never get used to see. Those little narrow rooms in which children are locked up. Doesn't it remind you of anything?"

Oh, he remembers. Sebastian has heard about it when he was in the alternate world. He can perfectly remember Beatriz and Ernesto's voices. "So they really locked you up in there?" Everything he felt when entering the room is gone. Now the anger is back, only more powerful. Anger against this man who did so many awful things to a child. To his own child.   
Ruvik doesn't miss it and smiles, but the tone of his voice is still bitter. "There is no need to make a fuss about it. We just have to burn this whole jail down and it will be nothing but a distant memory from the past. If I wanted to kill myself, it would be different. Fire isn't very appealing to me. It's deja vu, all over again."

Sebastian is reminded of the scene in the barn, as well as when he himself tried to burn Ruvik alive. Deja vu, indeed. 

"You have a very powerful grip." As he hears the words, Sebastian notices some fading marks on Ruvik's ribs.

"I'm sorry…I didn't want to." He keeps staring at the room instead of focusing on the man. "Ruvik, I'm sorry for…"

"Stop it." Ruvik moves next to Sebastian and bumps against him, annoyed by this never-ending compassion. 

"But you have to hear it! You have to hear those words nobody ever said to you since the accident!"

"Be quiet…Be quiet or I will kill you." They both know he won't do it.

"I'm really sorry, Ruvik." It's sincere. He's never been so sincere in his whole life. "I'm sorry for your loss…For your burns, for what those people did to you, for everything you endured. I'm sorry."

Sebastian was right. No one has ever been sorry for what happened to him. Until now. "You should have been sorry for me when we were still in STEM."

"It was different."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. Things between us were different."

Ruvik doesn't say anything else. He doesn't have something to say anymore. He can't fight against Sebastian anymore, against the man's presence and support. In a way, he desired Sebastian's compassion in STEM, but he never thought it would have such a huge impact on him once he finally gets it. Sebastian gives him this compassion, this presence, and it hurts. 

_You're still alive. I've never succeeded in killing you. And you're taking avantage of it._

"Please, say something. Don't scare me like that, don't shut yourself off. You're finally in the real world. It's not perfect, sure. But you have a chance to keep going. To live. I know that without… _Her,_ it won't be easy, one can even say impossible, because you loved her. I understood that. But you're not alone. In STEM, you were. But not in this world…I am here."

Silence. Again. Sebastian starts to lose hope. How can he expect a reaction from this man? Ruvik, who is more than a simple man. He's a lost soul. Powerful, but lost. 

"For fuck's sake, Ruvik! You showed me what it was like to fight for my life. Every horror you could think of, you just threw it at me while knowing that I was going to win. I never gave up, I wanted to keep going, to get out of this hell even though I couldn't find a reason to live anymore! I know you lost someone too, and in the same awful way. Talk to me or kill me, I don't care. The others don't need my help to work on this case."

For a moment, Ruvik feels a pang in his heart as someone shows him such devotion for the first time since Laura. But it doesn't come as a surprise. It's Sebastian, after all. Ruvik knows everything about him. It's a few minutes later that Sebastian finally hears the voice he didn't think he would be hearing again. 

"What a beautiful speech." Ruvik turns around with a little smirk like he always does. "I've always seen clearly in you in the other world. You killed, won every little fight I confronted you to. Every second spent watching you fight your way through the obstacles was a delight. A complete delight. That's what you were." His smile gets more and more evil. "It was something incredible. Something that captivated all my attention, all my time even though time was a precious thing I could not afford to waste. It went beyond my control. You were tireless. You were special. I don't regret the time I spent watching you."

Sebastian felt like he couldn't breathe anymore. He should hate Ruvik after everything he went through because of this man. And even if that was the case, Ruvik involuntary made his way in Sebastian's life, with positive or negative consequences. There's no denying it.  
He lets Ruvik pursue, captivated by the man. "My precious doll, my favorite one who I showed my past because…You were a mirror. Perhaps you saw your suffering there as an alarm clock, something to put you back on your feet. To you, the outcome has been positive. However, it wasn't my intention. You weren't part of the plan and I took advantage of this little unexpected event to amuse myself. But you were fascinating, Seb. And you still are. Even if I showed you a huge part of my past because we went through the same tragedies…Above all, you were my toy."  
His smile fades into something sweeter and more sincere as he slowly pulls the locket out. "I'm not sure you are a toy anymore." He ends his speech by showing Sebastian what's left of his sister. The detective stares at it, his eyes fixed on the engraved sapphire at the center of the medallion. 

"What is it?"

"I'm showing you another part of my life. Something…intimate. Something indestructible. Something I care about. It used to belong to Laura."

For a moment, Sebastian wonders if he's allowed to touch the locket. However, much to his surprise, Ruvik's cold gaze silently gives him the permission to do so. Sebastian brushes it with the tip of his fingers. 

"She gave it to me. Laura used to say this locket could protect people we care about." He laughs at the thought. "She believed in so much things. She should have kept it with her the day of the accident."

Sebastian has never believed in this kind of things but can't stop himself from being affected by the story.

"Keep it, Ruvik. Don't ever get rid of it."

"Are you worried about me, detective?"

Sebastian can sense the irony and decides to play the game.

"We are who we are."

"You're ready to abandon your little comrades for me?"

"I'm ready to drop everything if that means I can stop you from fucking shit up."

Smiling, Ruvik keeps teasing him. 

"Now I'm sure you're not an impostor. That's the real Sebastian Castellanos I have in front of me, not a pale copy." He lights up the match, ready to burn this hideous secret room. However, Sebastian takes a few steps closer to him so he can whisper in his ear. 

"Let me into your life. For real, this time."

Ruvik stays silent as he throws the burning match on the ground. Both men stares as the room burns and the crucifix disappears behind the flames. When Ruvik eventually talks, it's with a surprisingly soft and sincere voice. "Thank you, Seb."

The detective smiles. It will never be easy between them but he cant imagine his life without him anymore. A life without Ruvik is a monotonous life, without any obstacle. Since it's apparently the right time for confessions, Sebastian doesn't hesitate a second before speaking. 

"Maybe I was a toy back in STEM, but you were a fucking pain in the ass."

Ruvik chuckles. "I was doing my best."  
  
Sebastian spends the rest of the night at Ruvik's place where he is once again being offered a glass of wine. Just one, as Ruvik says. He obviously remembers Sebastian's past relationship with alcohol. 

"Tomorrow night, we will meet up in an isolated area next to the city." Sebastian explains as he savors his wine. "I need you to be there."

"Don't forget to load your weapon. Killing them is the only solution." Ruvik recommends on a harmless tone. 

"I know. We will wait for you." 

Ruvik smiles ironically. "No, Seb. I will wait for you. Of course." _Or perhaps it could only be the two of us alone. Let's not care about your idiotic sidekicks._

He sits down next to him, also enjoying a glass of wine. In those moments with Ruvik, Sebastian tends to feel relaxed as well as embarrassed to share this with this particular man. Staring at the family portrait, he wants to learn more about it but asking Ruvik about it could have nasty consequences and make him regret bringing up the subject. Besides, that's not really a polite thing to do. But since when did Sebastian care about good manners?

"Everything you showed me about her…Who she really was…"

Ruvik sighs, obviously wanting to avoid the conversation. And Sebastian can easily feel it. Ruvik used to think his dear sister was the only one who could ever comfort him by just being there. Until tonight, in Sebastian's company. 

Sebastian tries to hide his embarrassment as he notices Ruvik's insistant gaze on him.

"What?"

"Nothing." The tone of his voice is full of bitterness as Ruvik quickly stands up. "And don't look at me with those eyes…"

Of course, he does it. Those eyes full of kindness. 

"Listen, I…I'm going to head home." Sebastian eventually says as he gets up, massaging the back of his neck when he can't take the embarrassment anymore.

"Are you embarrassed?" Ruvik asks with a smirk.

"Joseph is probably waiting for me." At those words, Ruvik mumbles bitterly. 

"Just like a loyal pet."

This time Sebastian can hear him but doesn't say anything. He internally sighs at the thought of their meeting the next day. As he walks in direction of the exit, Sebastian realizes that leaving the manor is harder than he first thought. His hand finds its way to Ruvik's arm.

"It's going to be alright, Seb. You can go. We'll see each other again." Ruvik promises him with a grin. The brown-haired man nods and eventually leaves after having massaged Ruvik's arm for a few seconds. A gentle and comforting gesture

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you still love it dears readers :)


	10. chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseph try to know what's goin on in Sabastian's mind while Ruvik is still hunted by his demons..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here at last the new chapter , i'm very sorry i didn't have time to post it lately....Enjoy it and thank you again for your support and love for this story ! Viva The Evil Within !!!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvFH_6DNRCY Here the ost to listen :) great music ^^

"Sebastian, what are you doing?"

Lifting his head up, Sebastian can see Joseph looking at him with worry written all over his face. He suddenly realizes how little he has spoken to his colleague, friend and now roommate since his return. He blames himself for his behavior since Joseph woke up from his coma, but a lot of things have changed. 

"You didn't eat anything…Do you want me to make you something?"

"Everything's alright, Joseph. I'm just a little tired." He vaguely answers as the strong taste of alcohol reaches his nose, before he takes a sip of the precious liquid. Sighing, Joseph sits down next to him. 

"That's what I've noticed. You just said a few words and retreated into the darkness of your room with Debussy for only company. Tell we what's wrong." 

Sebastian suddenly realizes his state of mind. He had acted instinctively, trying to cope with exhaustion and melancholy. Poor Joseph. He probably wasn't expecting that kind of flat-sharing.

"I'm sorry, Joseph. I shouldn't act like this. I'm not really what we could call a good friend right now, am I?"

 _'Play the best friend_ ' Ruvik had told him. As if he knew it wasn't going to work. Joseph stands up and comes back a few minutes later with a plate of food. Thankful for it, Sebastian can only smile. 

"You need to get some rest too, you know."

"I needed to occupy myself while waiting for you. And we need to talk."

Sebastian can't hide his frustration. No, he doesn't want to talk about it. Doesn't need to talk about it. They've rarely kept secrets from each other but this time, it's so different. Joseph can't understand. Nobody can. 

"You were with him, am I wrong?" Joseph declares, visibly distrustful. 

_This is my business, Joseph._ Except, it concerns Ruvik. And it's everyone's business. "We just talked about the case. That's all. Look, I'm here, alive. Nothing happened." 

With a quick move of his hand Sebastian turns the music off and reaches for the plate. It's been a long time since he ate something as good as this.  
"Thanks for everything you're doing." He suddenly say. "I'm really glad you're alive, Joseph."

The man still stares at him with a worried look but no matter what, he will be there to support him. It has always been his role, no matter the situation. He sits down next to him, smiling. 

"You've always been like this during my, ah, crisis. It's only natural for me to be there when you're not feeling well. It will always be like this." 

They eat the meal in a comfortable silence until Sebastian pulled his phone out and started dialing the number of Diane's family. 

"Did you get attached to her?" Joseph asks before taking a bite of the meal. Like Sebastian, he can't remember the last time he ate something so tasty. 

"Well, she lost her mother and…she got attached quickly too." Sebastian smiled. "I promised her I would call."

During the call, Sebastian learns that Kidman was keeping an eye on the child as well, but also because she's grown to care about her. She tells him about Diane's dreams, too. Sebastian knew she had some kind of gift. He used to never believe in such things but STEM made him change his point of view on many subjects. After what he encountered in STEM, everything is possible. 

He promises to see Diane soon, as soon as the case is closed. Joseph keep staring at him, noticing how tired Sebastian looks. When Sebastian put his phone down, he walks to the little balcony in hope of enjoying the calm of the night while smoking a well-deserved cigarette. Joseph stays behind him, eyeing him with a compassionate look. 

"Does she make you think of Lily?"

Sebastian sighs then smiles sadly. After a few seconds, he throws his cigarette over the balcony. 

"One can say that." 

"Sebastian…"

"I know, Joseph." This time, his tone is harsher. "Never get your personal feelings mixed with the case."

Once inside the apartment, he gets himself a can of beer. Joseph can't help but be annoyed by it. He feels like Sebastian gave in ro his old demons once again. He doesn't want to anger him by forcing him to

talk, but it's devastating to see him in this state.  
"You're smoking, drinking again…What's happening? Is it this child?"

Sebastian stays silent, his head facing the floor. No, this isn't that. Joseph's only way of knowing what's wrong is to guess it, apparently. 

"Alright, so…Is this the case? We're going to solve it, Sebastian."

Once again, Sebastian chooses to keep his words to himself, staring at his can. It could have been the unsolved case. It could have been Diane and her similarity with Lily. Or the complete failure his life has become. He realizes that, now. He went back to being the thing he hated the worst. A man who can't control himself anymore, who can drink for any reason, at any time. It was something he wasn't doing anymore since STEM. But now…something changed. Something completely absurd.  
In the moment, Sebastian feels like shooting himself in order to stop thinking about it doesn't seem like a bad idea. Joseph can guess something is wrong, so he ends up asking something he was afraid of.

"Is it…Ruvik? Something went wrong?"

As he hears the name, Sebastian realizes he craves two things. Shooting himself, or…being with Ruvik. With him. _For fuck's sake, this can't be real._

"Do you care about him?"

"Joseph, stop with your questions." He orders, violently throwing the beer can in the dustbin. "Please…Let's not talk about this. It's just…He's alone in this goddamn mansion…And I don't like it."

"So you care about him." Joseph concludes. "I wonder what he did for that to happen…But be very careful. Don't forget what he made us go through back in STEM. Even if he had a difficult past, he hurt us."

"We need him. That's all. I risk nothing, Joseph. Trust me. Things have changed."

Joseph doesn't say anything, still doubting. He can't help but be afraid of Ruvik's influence on his friend and the negative outcomes that could ruin everything. Sebastian is tired of seing worry on his friend's face and he tries to reassure him with a sweet and calm voice. 

"You are my best friend and I would never lie to you. Everything's gonna be fine."

Not convinced by Sebastian's words, Joseph stays silent. _He became so important to you, but you don't realize it yet. Poor Sebastian…_

"We need to get some rest." Sebastian declares on a lighter tone. "I hope the bed in the guest room will be to your liking…We could watch a movie, if you want."

An evening between two friends who are trying to forget their current issues. Joseph accepts under the condition that they go to bed after the movie. In the end, Joseph is the one paying attention to the movie. Sebastian is lost in his thoughts, thinking about Diane and hoping she's doing fine. However, she's not the only one who occupies his thoughts. For a short moment Ruvik is, too. 

Ruvik spends the whole night experimenting on corpses he found, mostly to entertain himself. They all died the same way. There's nothing incredible to spice things up a little. This is getting boring. It has nothing to do with the times Ruvik found delight in hearing the begging of his victims. The look in their eyes. There's nothing interesting in guinea pigs that are already dead.  
But he can't bring himself to stop. For a second, he convinces himself that he could find a living subject and study him. Find this pleasure he thought was lost. The world changed, humans probably did too since his death. But Leslie's thoughts are still present in the back of his mind. Haunting him. 

_"Be quiet. I would tear open my own brain to get you out of it."_ Unfortunately, he's aware of the fact that it would be a lot more complicated to do that. Leslie was supposed to be the host. Not him. Even if the subject can be at ease in his mind, he wants out. He wishes to be free. We all end up being prisoner of something. 

At this moment, Ruvik's desire to kill is back, more than ever. In his rage, he ends up tearing the corpse's head off. 

"Interesting." His eyes full of rage a he recognizes the voice, Ruvik brutally turns around. The Administrator is standing in front of him, looking more real than ever. "Hello, Ruvik." He says on a casual tone. 

"Aren't you dead?" Ruvik asks, now bored and wanting one single thing: to see the man leave. Real or not. The Administrator slowly takes a few steps closer to him. 

"No one really dies. You're the prime example of this."

"You are nothing but an illusion. An illusion coming from my own mind. You are nothing."

"You know, I will always be there. I left my mark on agent Kidman, I will always remind an eternal memory. In addition, you should know that Mobius will always track you down, even if I'm not here anymore. Others will do it."

For a few seconds Ruvik stays motionless, his eyes completely empty. Annoying and useless. 

"I know." He eventually answers, resuming his occupation. 

"This failure with subject Withers makes you even more fascinating. You're apparently even more powerful than we first thought. Do you have any project instead of teaming up with useless people?"

Annoyed more than ever, Ruvik wraps his hand around the man's throat, no matter how real he is. "One by one…I will kill them. They will never get me alive."

"And then? Are you planning on staying here? You know you don't belong here anymore. Let yourself be caught, Ruvik. Embrace your destiny. And perhaps they will put you back in STEM. In your home."

Ruvik tightens his grip and laughs mischievously, his eyes full of bitterness. 

"Oh, no, no, no…You won't get me…I know what I want. No one will stop me from reaching my goal. I will find Laura. But before that…" His grip tightens once more as he moves his burnt face closer to his unwanted guest. 

"Get out of my view." He whispers. 

He would have done the same thing had he found himself face to face with the traitor that was his father. Oh, he would have done worse. So much worse.  
The Administrator suddenly disappears in a cloud of black smoke. Ruvik knew it was nothing but an illusion born from his own madness. But even an illusion never fully disappears. 


	11. chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the new chapter dears readers !!!! thank you for your reviews and kudos !!!

Over the horizon, has completely disappeared. It's time for their meting, and Ruvik is the first one who showed up. He takes some time to enjoy this moment of solitude. His eyes are closed as he tries to ear any breath coming from an infected. In order to find those creatures, the forest was obviously the best place to search. The forest in which Diane's mother and many other victims were found. Ruvik knows his life might be in danger during this night, even with Leslie in his mind. He's no match against those creatures. They're looking for innocence, goodness, a being full of love…And Leslie is all of them at the same time. He discovered that during months of forced cohabitation.   
It's as annoying as it is fascinating. 

After a few minutes of silence and tranquility, he hears hurried footsteps and turns around, apperceiving silhouettes running in his direction. Sebastian is there, but Joseph and Kidman are, too. Ruvik only wants one thing and it's to take Sebastian with him and leave those two alone. He still feels distrust towards them. One had been his constant victim in STEM and the other one was a spy for Mobius.   
Ruvik has to admit teaming up with Sebastian had been really…entertaining. Being with Sebastian might be an antidote to the loneliness that had became his only companion over the years. 

"Ruvik, we're here." Sebastian said, trying to keep his voice down. _"Oh, really?"_

"I have eyes." The man simply answers, his eyes lingering on Sebastian as the habitual smirks appears on his face. Joseph can feel the tension between the two men and clears his throat. 

"We…We took the best weapons. We know it won't be easy, those monsters are humans but at the same time they're as strong as the ones in STEM. But we might have the advantage. Well, at least Sebastian thinks so."

Joseph takes a deep breath, as it's his first time talking to Ruvik. He's not used to it, and it's obvious to the eyes. Sebastian quickly notices it and gently pats Joseph's shoulder. Ruvik takes one of the weapons and examines it.

"Use them as you see fit but be careful, a single mistake can cost you your life." It was a simple and obvious advice, even though Ruvik doesn't give a damn about Joseph's life. However, such an event could affect Sebastian. He knows it. 

Juli reloads her gun while Seb stays faithful to his old gun. Ruvik smiles ironically at this. 

"I bet some guns are missing." Sebastian sighs, detecting the mockery in Ruvik's tone. "For once, I wouldn't refuse the guns you gave me in STEM. I have to say they were powerful and, ah, uncommon."

"They wouldn't have worked in this world, anyway. So don't waste your bullets. We're going to split up and walk around the lake. But we all need to reach this cabin." He explained, pointing at a cabin away from them. 

"They can hide inside. We will try to take them by surprise." 

"Are you able to perceive their presence in this cabin?" Sebastian asks as he starts to feel anxiety regarding their situation. 

"They're everywhere." Ruvik simply answers but the only thing it does is to confirm Sebastian's fears. Kidman stays silent, preferring to avoid speaking to Ruvik. She knows he can kill her by just lifting his little finger up, without caring about the consequences. She's noticed the little glances Ruvik keeps throwing at her, especially at her scared hand. Suddenly, Ruvik takes hold of Sebastian's arm and leads him away from Kidman and Joseph. 

"I think he just chose his partner." Joseph concludes while swallowing. 

"We'll stay together, Joseph. Nothing bad will happen."

"Eh. I appreciate your confidence but last time we are together I tried to–"

"Let's not talk about that. Let's focus on those creatures instead. We're going to take the right path, Sebastian and Ruvik are going the other way."

Joseph doesn't answer and follows Kidman, holding his new weapon up in the air.   
  
The moment Ruvik grabbed his arm, Sebastian felt his heartbeat speed up. It's rare for Ruvik to make a physical contact, except when it was to strangle him. He tries to hide his reaction but he sometimes forgets that Ruvik is far better at noticing little things than he is. 

"The tough and cold hearted man who blushes so easily when one takes his hand. It's almost cute." He smiles. 

"I see you're getting to know me. How flattering."

"Remember what I told you back there…" _I know who you are._ For some reason, Sebastian can't bring himself to forget this sentence. Ruvik slowly walks closer to him while whispering. 

"Try not to make any sound. I hope your pathetic partners will be able to do the same. _" You're so much better than them._

Sebastian is so preoccupied by the situation that he doesn't even notice how Ruvik called his friends. He can't tear his eyes away from Ruvik. "You're not as invisible against them as you were in STEM, are you? Is it because of Leslie?"

Ruvik nods and keeps following the path leading to the cabin. "If I bring them to us, you can still kill me." He declares. 

Sebastian answers a bit too quickly. "I would never do that."

"I wouldn't hesitate to kill you. It wouldn't be entertaining..but I wouldn't have any other choice."

Sebastian felt like a pang in his chest. But he tries to stay impassive. _He's driving me insane._

"So let's make sure it doesn't happen." He says with a little smile. 

The rest of the walk happens in silence until Sebastian decides to break it. "Thank you, Ruvik. For being here."

The man glares at him with cold eyes, obviously getting annoyed of all those thanks. He knows Sebastian has a lot to say. Gratitude, compassion, tenderness. He's a more complex man than Ruvik first thought. 

"Stop thanking me, Sebastian. I already told you once."

"It annoys you, eh?" The detective teases him. 

"A little." Ruvik answers with a little pout. "Now be quiet."

Sebastian used his voice to reduce his anxiety like he always does but he tries to focus instead, as it's the best way to notice every suspicious noise. Something giving away the presence of an infected. This place is usually where they arrive, or where they die. 

"I hope we will have enough time to stop them from getting to the city. If we don't, it will be chaos, like in…"

He was going to say STEM but stops himself from finishing his sentence, not wanting to anger Ruvik even more.

"You can say it, Sebastian. You can say how much my world was Hell." His voice couldn't have been more cold and frightening. 

After a moment, they finally arrive to the cabin where it's becoming darker and darker. Sebastian checks every room, every corner, while keeping an eye on Ruvik.   
Ruvik walks at a slow pace, keeping his aura of a predator ready to jump on his prey, exactly like in STEM. No one dares talking anymore. That's the moment Kidman and Joseph choose to arrive as quietly as possible, all the while listening for any sound that could indicate the presence of a creature. Their breathing is the only thing that can be heard until Ruvik turns around and lifts his hand in the air, decapitating two infected that were ready to jump on them. Joseph can't help but jump in fear as Sebastian stares at Ruvik with astonishment. 

"We really needed you…" He whispers. Ruvik doesn't say anything, too focused on the possible creatures roaming around them. Suddenly, a few infected, men and women, barge from outside the cabin.

Sebastian does his best to kill them. He manages to get three of them in a short time, using all the skills he had to master in STEM. Ruvik doesn't fail to notice it and he smiles, enjoying the sight of Sebastian fighting. Joseph stays behind them with his gun in he air. It seems like Sebastian and Ruvik alone can bring them all down. 

"Do you feel other presences?" Sebastian asks, staying close to Ruvik who slowly nods while staring at the cabin. He can also hear a strange noise coming from the second floor, like a hoarse and slow breathing.

Sebastian can hear it too. 

"We need to go up." Ruvik declares. "Stay on your guards."

With a glare to Joseph, Sebastian silently instructs him to stay careful. Kidman follows them, knowing that a single step can alert an infected. 

"Those monsters will never leave us alone." She tells them on a tone full of bitterness. 

The sound of their steps is almost completely silent as they make their way to the second floor. Ruvik keeps reminding Sebastian not to drop his gun, not even lowering it. The detective can't help but like the fact that Ruvik cares about him even if he knows it's only natural. They are a team, after all.   
A second later, many infected are rushing towards them, some more infected than others. Some even seem to be crying for help, crying in pain and fear. However, Ruvik kills them all without any mercy and tells Sebastian and the others to do the same thing. The detective is seized by remorse but remembers Ruvik's advice. _Never lower down your weapon._ He takes some of them down as they all try to dodge the monsters' attacks. Monsters, that's all they are. Sebastian can only hope they would be able to put an end to this madness. That the real world wouldn't be forever condemned to host those atrocities.   
For a moment, he regrets getting out of STEM. Perhaps he should have stayed there. But Sebastian knows he can't lose hope, ever. He has to fight.   
After killing some infected that were trying to claw him, he throws a glare at Joseph. The man has finally learnt how to use his new weapon, very useful to electrocute the creatures.   
Ruvik manages to walk away from the creatures that are trying to get him, probably lured by Leslie's mind. Killing the infected isn't difficult but there is a lot of them. Sebastian sees it and immediately goes to Ruvik's side. No one dares to scream, no one can do it. Every time they think it's over, more infected barge inside the room. Once a victim, now an enemy. 

"They really want to kill us!" Joseph yelled. Sebastian doesn't say a word, too preoccupied by the attacks. Kidman manages to kill some with her gun but her heels as well. _"Still as skillful."_

Ruvik doesn't have any other choice than to teleport himself in order to avoid the attacks. He finds himself on the floor above the group, killing six infected at once. Their blood is covering the walls.   
Looking everywhere for him, Sebastian still has to keep an eye on the monsters. There are too many of them. This cabin was their shelter. Perhaps they were waiting for Sebastian and the others.  
Sebastian was going to catch up on Ruben when an infected wrapped what is left of its hand around the detective's throat. His eyes are full of anger. Sebastian can feel the beginning of a headache but manages to push the monster away by kicking it in the stomach and firing a bullet into its head. It feels good to have enough ammo, for once.   
Ruvik becoming his priority again, Sebastian starts to look for him. "Joseph, Kidman, stay careful! We need to go higher!"   
On the second floor, there's nothing but Ruvik completely covered in blood. He takes a deep breath, ready for another attack. Back in STEM, he could control those monsters only by using his mind. Here, however, it's not the same and it fills his brain with rage. 

As the thought that it was over crossed his mind, Ruvik hears an ear-splitting cry. Turning around and ready to kill whoever is there, his body is paralyzed as he sees the intruder, who has the same hair as Laura. In a few seconds, he loses all his control o the situation. The creatures hits him so violently he falls down on the floor, not even fighting against it. No, it's not Laura. He knows it. It's obvious.   
But she has the same hair, the same long black hair and it's enough to send him in a paralyzed state. His whole body hurts and his vision soon fades into black, the last sound Ruvik hears being the sound of Sebastian yelling his name, completely terrified.


	12. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruben meet someone in a another world....Someone very special,As Sebastian is ready to everything to protect Ruvik,even also against someone special.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so sorry i didn't have posted new chapter since a very long time.Life didn't gave me occasion.I had very had time but this story is so important in my heart that i won't leave it like this.So enjoy it dear readers and please,leave me some comments,i really need it currently....
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkuHJlKRiCQ Here the ost to listen mostly in the beginning :)

When Ruvik opens his eyes, he feels a hellish heat around him that gets bigger until becoming unbearable. He sits up and notices with dread that he's surrounded by fire. He feels like he's trapped inside a nightmare as he remembers the previous events. That _thing_ that looked like Laura. And of course, the moment he lost consciousness.  
How did he let himself be fooled by an illusion? Ruvik stopped himself from believing it could be real. It wasn't her. But yet, he couldn't stop himself.  
Looking around himself, he tries to understand what happened. It looks so much like STEM. The flames are getting closer and he can't even scream as he feels like he's suffocating. Suddenly, a high-pitched scream reaches his ears. A scream full of pain. He immediately turns around and spots her. Laura. The real Laura, in her beautiful red dress. She's suffering.  
Without even thinking twice, he runs to her and takes her into his arms. Doing what he should have done a long time ago. As he gets them both out of the barn, his heart is racing. The heat of the flames fades away, only to be replaced by the bright color of the sunflowers. Everything is calm, there isn't a cloud in the sky and the end of the fields doesn't appear to be reachable. It seems like they go on forever.  
Laura is gone, so Ruvik keeps calling her in hope that she will eventually come back. He saved her. She must be somewhere, safe and sound. Panic starts rising inside him as he looks for her, even in the middle of the flowers of the sun. And far away, he sees someone, lying down on the ground. It's Leslie. He runs to the boy and kneels down next to him. Leslie seems asleep, at peace. He corner of his lips are even curved upward. 

"Leslie?" The boy doesn't wake up but he's still breathing. Ruvik doesn't know what to think of it. Is he dead? That could be why he found himself in such a place in Leslie's company? He moves his hand to the boy's forehead, the boy who was linked to him. Body and soul. He slowly strokes his hair but doesn't say a word. Somehow, it seems like Leslie finally escape from his jail and found himself at peace. Before Ruvik can think about something else, the most beautiful voice in the world rises up. 

"Ruben?" He closes his eyes and stands up, hoping this time it won't be a mirage. When he turns around and sees her, she isn't being devoured by flames. She's not suffering, she's happy. More beautiful than ever and still dressed in her red dress. Abruptly, a sob escapes from Ruvik and he runs to Laura, embracing her with all his strength. And this time, she doesn't fade away. She stays there, pressed against him. And Ruvik doesn't want to let go of her. He only wishes to stay with his sister, even if it's a dream, breathing her perfume and gently stroking her face.  
And just like that, he's Ruben again. He doesn't even dare talking. 

"You're here, Ruben. Let me look at you…Oh, God…Your face…" Tears are falling from her eyes when she sees what has become of her brother. Ruvik forgets everything. All his suffering, everything he's been through. 

"I've finally found you, Laura. Please, I beg of you. Let me stay with you." His voice begins to shake as he can't keep his hand away from his sister's porcelain face. 

"Shhh…Calm down. Remember, Ruben. I will never leave you. Look."

The girl reaches for Ruben's medallion he keeps around his neck like a treasure. "I'm so glad you kept it."

Ruvik tries to regain his composure and lear more about this place. 

"What's happening? Where are we?"

"You wouldn't believe me." Laura answers with a giggle. "But I'm happy here. And he is, too." She reveals while watching Leslie, still sleeping peacefully. "I will take care of him. You brought him here, Ruben. But now you have to leave." She says, this time looking a bit desperate. At this moment, Ruvik feels like he's just been punched in the chest. He tightens his grip around Laura. 

"No…No, I refuse to go. I found you, Laura, and this is everything I've ever wanted!" It's been a long time since Ruvik felt so weak, so lost. Only Laura has this effect on him. She can't leave him alone, not anymore. The girl cries tears of happiness and caresses her dear brother's burnt cheek. 

"Ruben…You became so strong…I wanted to save you from everything you went through. I'm sorry I left you, I love you so much. More than anything else. More than I could ever say. But I can't let you stay there. Your place isn't with me yet."

Ruvik's despair widens and he keeps holding his sister in his arms. How could he let go of that, now that he has finally found her? 

"Don't leave me, Laura. I don't want to go back there. My place isn't in this world and you know it…I don't want to be alone again."  
Laura runs her hands on her brother's back like she used to do when they were kids. Before the fire. Her little brother, like a child stuck in the body of an adult wounded by life. She closes her eyes, smiling. 

"You are not alone there, I promise you. I'm sure that deep down, you know it."

Ruvik slightly shakes his head, his forehead pressed against Laura's neck. He's unable to stop himself from telling her how much he loves her.  
He's so lost in the embrace he barely notices that the ground has started shaking under his feet. When he fully realizes everything around him is starting to crumble down, Ruvik looks at his sister with fear in his eyes at the thought of being taken away from her once again. She meets his eyes with tears in her own as she whispers _"goodbye"_ and kisses his forehead. There's nothing he can do to prevent his return to the real world. Before he can tell, he is laying down on the cold and harsh ground of the cabin. Sebastian is the first thing he sees when he opens his eyes, the man standing by his side and trying to wake him up. 

**"Ruvik!"**

Sebastian's eyes are full of worry. His hands are on Ruvik's cold cheeks and the hooded man quickly pulls away, still under shock. He's breathing while trying to contain his rage at being thrown back into the real world and separated from his sister again. And Leslie is…gone. 

He turns around and stares at Sebastian. Only Sebastian.

"You were laying there and I thought…" He can't even finish his sentence. "I killed that thing." He says, gesturing at the thing that looked like Laura with his gun. "What happened?"

It takes some time for Ruvik to answer, as he pulls himself together and begins to explain the events. 

"I saw her. Laura. I was standing in the middle of the sunflower field. I saw her, Sebastian. She was there, just under my eyes." Sebastian is the only one he can speak to, the only one who will show understanding and believe him. Ruvik has no doubts about this. "It was really her…So beautiful." He ends on a sad tone.

As expected, Sebastian understands. He gives him an exhausted smile but deep down, he's glad Ruvik is safe. He was tricked by his feelings, by Laura's look-alike. Like in STEM. Sebastian can't help but think he would have reacted the same way had it been Lily. 

"Did anything else happen?" He asks as he notices how Ruvik is looking away. 

"Leslie…has been freed. He's not with me anymore. He stayed with Laura."

At those words, Joseph and Kidman instinctively lift their weapons up, expecting Ruvik to revert to his old self. For them, Leslie was similar to a conscience, stopping him from being fully evil. The man in question stares at them with deadly eyes, a little voice in his head telling him to harm them. Only Sebastian doesn't move, too preoccupied by Ruvik.  
The burnt man watches the scene in front of him. Two are against him, but one man, always the same one, is the only one supporting him with a single look. In Ruvik's mind, this only contributes to elevate

Sebastian to a rank no one else alive could achieve. Someone different from all those parasites.  
Ruvik slowly makes his way to Sebastian, completely forgetting about Joseph and Kidman. He looks at he detective with pride in his eyes. 

"You are a miracle, Seb." The four of them are the only ones left. At least that's what they think until they hear a loud noise as well as screams. Ruvik stops dead in his tracks, recognizing one of Mobius' agents. They found him. 

Almost as soon as they hear the noises, Ruvik is gone. He even forgets to teleport himself because of how weak he is. Nothing is currently more important than running to his freedom. Sebastian runs after him, completely forgetting his partners. Joseph grasps his arms, desperately trying to keep him from doing something stupid. 

"Sebastian, no! This isn't our business, they're going to kill you!"

"I can't leave him, Joseph! He helped us even knowing how he was putting his life in danger. Just stop them from going any further, alright?"

For the first time in years, Sebastian puts someone else's life before his own. Ruvik's life. 

"Wait!" He yells, running in the man's direction. Ruvik immediately stops, breathing hard. "Don't you dare denounce me to them. This is my business."

"I promised you, Ruvik. I am a man of my word and you know it."

Ruvik keeps staring at the detective as his anger slowly fades away. 

"I know, now. I craved nothing more than to stay with Laura. I told myself I didn't have any reason to stay alive. With Leslie gone, I thought Mobius would lose their interest in me…But they will never do so."

"What are you going to do?" Sebastian asks, worry all over his face. Ruvik smirks. 

"What I wanted to do since the beginning. They want me? Well, they're going to get me. But I will still be the hunter."

"Let me come with you."

"No." Ruvik's tone is extremely harsh. "You wouldn't approve of my methods. You know I like to do things…slowly." 

Sebastian understands the implications of those words and lowers his head, sighing. The night had been particularly rough and exhausting and a headache is starting to form inside his head. But his worry for Ruvik keeps growing. 

"And if something happens to you? So many things happened since…"

"Stop worrying, Sebastian. That's all I'm asking. I wouldn't risk my life because Laura wouldn't want that."

It's something that will never change. But he respects his sister's wishes, he would give everything up to be with her. And sooner or later, he will be with her. Nothing will stop that from happening. But there's something he has to do first. Something that will please him. Even thought he feels a bit weird because of Leslie's disappearance, the boy's absence allows this pleasure to grow.  
He walks away, giving Sebastian one last look. Not even a minute after, the detective hears gunshots coming from the cabin. He runs back to it, expecting a massacre. However, all he finds is his partners facing armed agents of Mobius, asking about the subject _"Ruvik"_. 

"I respect your decisions, Sebastian." Joseph whispers, sweat on his hands. "But I'm going to repeat myself: it could cost us our life."

Sebastian carefully takes a few steps towards the agents, trying to calm them down. 

"Are you aware of what we just did?" For a while, everything is incredibly silent, so Sebastian pursues. "We killed an army of monsters that used to be people like you and me. Because of you and your fucking plans, it started spreading in our world. You can be proud of yourselves." He said sarcastically.

One of the agents steps forward. "Are they all dead?" Sebastian only nods, trying to keep the situation under his control. However, he doesn't notice how Kidman is staring at one of the agents who stands at the back. How white her face is as she hopes Sebastian won't see this person. But there is no hope. 

The agent Kidman was staring at steps forward and walks through the other agents until she is standing right in front of Sebastian. As soon as he sees her, Sebastian feels like the world itself has stopped turning. She is there, alive and in front of him. 

_"Myra?_ " His voice is only a whisper, his hands are shaking and he tries to stop himself from crying because of the exhaustion and shock. However, it doesn't seem like it's the case for Myra. 

"Lower your weapons." She orders the agents before turning back to her former husband. "Sebastian, I didn't want to see each other again in this way…But we don't have much time left."

Sebastian is at a loss for words. He can only stare at who used to be his wife, completely lost. Joseph is as shocked as Sebastian is while Kidman bears a sad look on her face.

"I hope that we will get him anyway. I'm sorry for everything that happened…" She says and Sebastian feels like he can see a string of sadness in her cold and blue eyes. But he isn't sure. "We need to find Ruvik, no matter wh–"

The rest of her sentence dies in her throat as Sebastian suddenly raises his gun to point it at her. "You wont have him."

"Sebastian, please."

"No! Go fuck yourself! I don't know what's happening, Myra, and I don't want to know!" He retorts with bitterness in his tone. "I don't know how you became tangled in this mess but I won't let you take Ruvik. Your priority is to capture him? Not to talk to me about us…about Lily…So my priority is to protect him."

Myra tries to step even closer but Sebastian strategically fired his gun up, causing a bunch of furniture to fall down between them and the agents, thus stopping them – and Myra – from going any further. 

"Run!" Hoping not to cross the path of other creatures or worse, Mobius agents, Sebastian and his partners quickly walk out of the cabin. They stop after a while in order to catch their breath. Joseph was expecting Sebastian to react badly to this, to let his wrath take over everything else but unexpectedly, the detective is calm. Calm, but hurt. 

It's obvious Sebastian is having a fight with himself not to do something he would regret. He stared at Kidman's hand. She's a part of Mobius, so she must have known. The woman notices Sebastian's eyes on her and looks at him with regret, wanting to explain herself. But he doesn't let her the time to do so. 

"Go home. We did what we had to do." Once again, Joseph knows Sebastian won't go home with him. But the detective still tries to reassure him. 

"You did a great job, Joseph. I will see you later, don't worry."

"Alright. I will wait for you."

Joseph walks away, not before addressing a smile to Kidman. Sebastian goes in the opposite direction, walking rather slowly. Fearing something bad is about to happen, Kidman tries to keep an eye on him. _I can't leave him like this_. Hoping to have a chance to explain herself to Sebastian, Kidman follows him.


	13. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juli come to see Sebastian in his pain at a bar,while Ruvik make more revenge against Mobious and Joseph wait for Sebastian.But something 's wrong.Very wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy it my sweet readers i hope you will love it !!!!

Rummaging through Jimenez's remaining files, Bill Walter is hoping to find more informations. The night appears to be endless and from time to time, he feels a chill down his spine but tries not to pay attention to it. But it isn't surprising, especially when staying alone in this place for such a long time. He should have left far away after Ruvik's escape. However, he is unable to do so. Alas…He has to stay for Marcello, his friend.

The phone suddenly rings and when he answers, his hand is shaking. "Hello?…Yes, I am still there. I found some old files belonging to Jimenez. There is a lot of them, that's incredible, about subject Withers, Ruvik, what he wanted…What?…Miss Handson, we can still find him…Calm down, please, I'm still working for you. He broke free?…My god…Yes, i'm staying careful and I will tell you more when you return."  
He hangs up, completely paralyzed. They had Ruvik, or at least they almost had him. But once again, he vanished. Walter doesn't want to think about the worse that could happen, that will happen. He takes hold of the files, keeping him close to him in case they're needed. So many secrets, confessions from a man who knew the fascinating subject that Ruvik was. They can't be lost.   
In the last file, he finds an audio tape. The other ones contained informations about Leslie and his importance, Mobius' goal, the functioning of STEM. But this one doesn't have any title. The first thing he hears when listening to the tape is a loud breathing. Possibly Jimenez's last recording. Bill can only listen attentively to the man's last words.

**_"Where should I start? It's been so long since I've recorded something. I am trapped in STEM, my body was connected to this damn machine. Leslie is, too. I need to keep an eye on him. Ruben…No, Ruvik mustn't come close to him. I saw him and I couldn't believe it. I managed to escape from him and I know Leslie is his priority. I've seen so many horrors, monsters. Ruvik's rage is unprecedented and yet, he always appears so calm. But how can he, when I know what is lurking in his shadows? I saw it, the creature modeled like his sister. For an instant, Ruvik seemed curious, destabilized by that thing. Laura will always be his weakness. The only thing that matters to him. And yet…I managed to get away from this man, this detective. From time to time, I could see him fight every creature Ruvik kept sending him. I wasn't the only one keeping an eye on him. Ruvik was there, too. When Sebastian Castellanos, if I remember his name, was somewhere, Ruvik was there. He stared at him like the man was a treasure. And for a short moment, Ruben came back to life. Every time the detective won, a light appeared in Ruvik's eyes. Something I used to see when he talked about his sister. But there was something new, something more intense. I would rather not try to find out about the meaning of all this, but if this sudden fascination, even maybe strange attraction, towards the detective can make Ruvik forget his goal, even for a minute, then so be it. In the end, it can be useful to me."_ **

The recording comes to an end and Bill stays motionless, shocked by what he has just heard. He remembers hearing about that detective, the one who was entangled in this case, the detective whose files had been sent to the SWAT, just in case. But Bill couldn't have guessed the man was as deep as he seemed to be. This horrible case. Could Ruvik really…? No. It's impossible. But Bill needs to know more. For Jimenez and all the other lives that were lost. I will do everything to show those revelations to Myra Handson. Perhaps she's even acquainted with this…Sebastian.

"I will get what you failed to obtain, Marcello, acknowledgment and power. Sorry, my friend." Despite everything, therein sincerity in his words.   
The lights suddenly start flashing and Bill hears what seems a mocking laugh. But he doesn't see anyone. And that's what's the most frightening. He takes a flashlight, making his way through the dark corridors. He should know better than doing that, and he's aware of it, but Bill wants nothing more than to get out of there.   
There's someone breathing, a woman maybe? For a short instant, Bill sees long black hair appear in front of his eyes. He feels a sudden pain in his nape and tries to scream, but a hand is grabbing his throat. Before passing out, he finds himself face to face with Ruvik's burns. However, he stays unconscious only for a few minutes. When he wakes up, he's hanging upside down. 

"My god…" He whispers, terrified. 

"No." Answers a icy voice. "That's just me."

He sees Ruvik as the man walks closer to him, a bittersweet smile on his lips and hatred written all over his face. 

"Ruvik…What are you going to do…"

"Shhh…shh…Don't start shaking. I didn't start cutting you up yet." This voice…He would give everything not to hear this frightful voice. A demon's voice. Ruvik takes some of the files Bill was carrying and reads them, before throwing them on the floor in a fit of rage. 

"What were you going to do with those papers written by someone as despicable as him?" He brings a knife to Bill's throat, who soon starts crying. Ruvik takes the man's cheeks between his fingers.

**"Answer me!** "

Despite Ruvik's order, Bill is too frightened to talk. However the lunatic knows everything, nothing can be hidden from him. "Find me, learn more about me, study me, use everything I ever cared about to reach your goal…"

"It's true." Bill ends up confessing. "I was afraid you would come here…And want to get revenge. But you are so fascinating, Ruvik…Your brain will always be our greatest fin…Even if you kill me, they will never let you live."

Ruvik remembers hearing this before, but he enjoys hearing it again and again. "Ooo, but I hope so. If you weren't running after me, I would already be gone where I should be."  
Yes…with Laura. And maybe even Leslie now that he got to know him, body and soul. With melancholy in his eyes, he tries to imagine what it would be like to be with her, his sweet Laura, forever. But he is reminded of her words from the short moment they shared together. She will always stay in his mind. He needs to stay on Earth, at least for now. And one day, he will be with her again. 

"But…This pleasure…" He pursues with a voice full of sadism. "I love it too much to stop myself from feeling it again. Oh, slashing your throat sounds wonderful…"

Getting his revenge is the priority, it's what made him so strong, even in the real world. If anything, it made him even stronger in the real world. He will always be this omnipresent, supreme, indestructible being. But like any other human could be, he was hurt by this treason. They betrayed him and used his work and eternal love for his sister, just because of despicable reasons.   
Closing his eyes, he begins torturing his prisoner, another traitor. Like Jimenez and his own father. And as his scalpel cuts deep into the man's skin, he remembers some faces. Laura's, Leslie's, his mother's. But there is another face. One that causes his heart to beat faster. Sebastian's face.   
  
Sebastian has been sitting down in a bar in Krimson City for hours after drinking already two glasses of whisky. He needed to think about something else. The night has been eventful and far from being over. He knows alcohol won't be the solution to his headache. It was quite the contrary, in fact.  
But he needed to have at least a drink without anyone following him or keeping an eye on him. Myra is all he can think about, her beautiful face who hasn't changed at all. Still cold, but full of determination. It was what made her strong, even after Lily's death. He wanted to take her in his arms but also have a word with her, as his rage wasn't fading away. He remembers the last letter she sent him before her disappearance. Of course it was linked to Mobius.   
Once the shock fades away, he will need to find her. Perhaps she went through a brainwash? Sebastian refuses to believe his own wife can put everything behind her and join Mobius' ranks. Was she there when he was connected to the machine, fighting for survival? Without doing anything? For now, he doesn't want to know.  
Closing his eyes, he feels a pang in his heart when the image of Ruvik's face crosses his mind. The man lost this clarity in his eyes he used to have, the clarity that was Leslie. He remembers how worried he was when he saw Ruvik on the floor, completely motionless, as if he was dead. Yes, he cares about Ruvik. In which way?…God only knows.  
Sebastian is sure, however, to be on Ruvik's side. He knows the man went after Mobius to get his revenge. In a way, he prefers that to imagine Ruvik moping over Laura. He can't help but think that despite the fact Leslie is gone, Ruvik doesn't stare at the detective with cold eyes anymore. Something must have happened when he was…in this place.  
Lost in his thoughts, Sebastian rubs his own face, hoping to get some sleep soon. Joseph is probably worrying about him. From the corner of his eye, he sees someone sitting next to him. Surprisingly, it's Kidman, who looks at him with a smile. 

"I couldn't let you spend the night alone, not after what happened." 

Sebastian drinks the rest of his drink in one go. "Did you follow me?"

"You seemed lost." He nods, knowing Juli is worrying, too. He hesitate for a few seconds, but eventually comes to the conclusion that he has nothing left to lose. "You knew, didn't you?"  
Her eyes still on him, Kidman then lowers her head. 

"I wouldn't be surprised. You were following their orders."  
Surprisingly, Sebastian is still sober. Just exhausted. However, there is something else. He looks calm. 

"I wasn't really sure." Kidman confesses. "I had…When I was engaged, I was interviewed by her but I didn't know her full name. I…Well, I discovered some clues in STEM, like the missing poster. I only put the pieces together."

The missing poster. He remembers making one, a very long time ago.

"And when I saw her again…It was just before saving you after I got out of STEM. I'm sorry for hiding this from you."

"I'm not holding it against you." It's sincere but the words are said harshly. Not against Kidman, but against the whole world. Apparently, he will never get away from a bad surprise. "You wanted to protect me. I believe that in the end…You're the strongest of us."

She smiles, believing in those words. "I didn't think you would believe me. And that wouldn't have been surprising."  
He found the truth. Or at least a part of it. We can never uncover a whole truth, some secrets always remain hidden. She knows that.   
Sebastian suddenly lowers his head while gripping it between his hands, sighing. Kidman can't help but starting to worry again.

"Sebastian? Are you alright?"

"Yes…I'm going to go home. Try to do the same thing, you shouldn't stay alone in such a place."  
His kindness makes Juli smile. He doesn't change. Always thinking about the others.

"Kid…Juli, I'm not angry at you." He gently says while taking her hand. "I promise you. It's going to be alright."  
She can only take him in her arms, slowly massaging his back like she did in STEM. He doesn't push her away but breaks the embrace after a while. After wishing het good night, he walks out of the bar. Following his advice, she does the same and feels lighthearted, for once.

For Sebastian, the walk to his apartment is much harder than he had anticipated. He hears what seem like cries in his head. Voices that seem frightened. _"The alcohol, probably…I should have known better. Once again, Ruvik and Joseph would lecture me…"_  
Those cries are not the only thing he hears. There are so many other things, like the image of a man being tortured by Ruvik, who takes a great pleasure in doing so. Why does he see those horrible images? Is it because of his connection to Ruvik? He accelerates the pace, trying to get home as soon as possible

Bill stays hanged to the ceiling, his throat slashed from ear to ear. Ruvik walks away, feeling pride at accomplishing a part of his revenge. He knows he will never get rid of Mobius but he needs to make them understand they will never have him as well.   
When the burning burns down to the ground, Ruvik never takes his eyes off of it. He eventually closes them, satisfied to find an ally in the flames. However, despite the heat of the fire, a chill suddenly runs down his spine. Something is happening.

  
Getting impatient by the second, Joseph can't help but worry as he waits for Sebastian. He should have stayed with him. For the first time, he feels powerless in front of his best friend's situation. So useless. Finally, after what feels like forever, the door opens and he runs to the hall, his heart beating fast in his chest. Sebastian is there, his eyes facing the floor. 

"I was so worried! Stop spending your time out of the house. I know…I know horrible things happened, but you need to rest and take care of yourself and–"  
Joseph suddenly stops as he notices Sebastian's pale face, his eyes red and lifeless. He doesn't have the time to say anything before he sees his friend collapsing on the floor like a ragdoll. He kneels down, completely distraught. 

"My god, Sebastian!" He does his best to try and get Sebastian to wake up, but the detective stays unconscious, like dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's wrong with our Seb ?....Stay tuned.


	14. Chapter 13

Surprisingly, Joseph’s first thought was to drive Sebastian to Ruvik’s mansion. He hopes Sebastian’s condition isn’t what he thinks it is, but if that’s the case then Ruvik is the only one who can do something. But he also prays for not making a mistake. During the ride, he can’t help but throw a few glares to Sebastian’s form, lying down in the back seat. The detective seems to be slowly waking up.

« I hope you won’t get mad at me for borrowing your car. » He says with a little smile. « But there was an emergency. »

« I’m fine… » Sebastian hoarsely answers, proving himself to be wrong. He can’t even get up and Joseph sighs.

« Sebastian, I’ve always helped you, since the beginning, at work or in your personnel life…So you can’t expect me not to help you when it concerns your health. » After a heavy silence, Sebastian finally decides to ask a question, confused.

« Where are you taking me? At the hospital? You know I hate those places when I’m the patient… »

Joseph doesn’t have the time to answer Sebastian’s whining and suddenly stops the car, as he sees Ruvik in the middle of the road. He realizes he didn’t do anything. Ruvik stopped the car. It’s a dreadful reminder of what happened in STEM. Once again, Joseph asks himself if he didn’t make a mistake. Ruvik walks to the back of the car and to Sebastian, tilting his head.

« We’re taking him to the lab. » He orders Joseph.

« Can’t you…can’t you teleport him there? »

Ruvik tries not to be angered by how Joseph is already questioning his orders.

« It would make him dizzy. »

« Alright…alright… » Joseph helps Sebastian out of the car while the detective keeps repeating the same words, trying to convince both men that he is fine.

« You’re not fine, Seb. You passed out and it’s something that almost never happens to you. »

Sebastian shoves him away.

« I can walk, I’m not dead yet. You drove me to his home…you must be taking this very seriously. » He laughs.

« Yes, and you should do the same thing. » Sebastian doesn’t retort, visibly exhausted. From the corner of his eye, he can see Ruvik gathering some surgical tools. Nothing out of the ordinary.

« Sit down. » Ruvik gently says. Joseph is standing next to the door and keeping an eye on Ruvik, who turns around and stares at him with cold eyes. « I won’t hurt him. Go to the corridor, I would like to concentrate. »

« It’s going to be alright, Joseph, I promise you. » Sebastian adds and Joseph nods, walking out of the room. There’s only Sebastian and Ruvik left, as well as a complete silence.

Ruvik takes a closer look to Sebastian’s condition, especially his eyes. He looks more serious and focused on his goal than ever. The detective tries to look away and hide his embarrassment at having Ruvik so close to him. Eventually, he can’t stop himself from speaking.

« Don’t be mad at him…He’s always like that, especially with me. »

« I don’t care. » Ruvik replies harshly as he keeps examining Sebastian. « Like the good dog he is, he will wait elsewhere. » sestina can’t help but smile at Ruvik’s stubbornness. The man then focuses on Sebastian’s breathing and heartbeat. When Ruvik puts a hand against Sebastian’s chest, he notices that the man’s heart starts beating faster.

« Calm down. »

« I’m fine. I was…tired after that night…And it’s not everyday that I can see you taking care of me. »

Ruvik stays silent, gently massaging Sebastian’s neck. His skin is getting colder and his heartbeat slower.

« I did what I had to do. » He eventually declares as Sebastian gives him a surprised look.

« Mobius? » Ruvik nods.

« They still have that filthy habit of sticking their nose in other people’s business . »

« They are going to keep tracking you, Ruvik. You have your reasons and I understand them but please, you need to stay careful. »

A mocking laugh is what he gets as an answer. « Do you think you’re teaching me something new? I told you to stop worrying. »

« How can you ask this from me? You know I can’t do that. »

« Oh yes, I know. There’s a reason as to why I kept you alive in STEM. »

Sebastian falls silent and it seems he’s finally going to let Ruvik take care of him. However, he soon speaks again.

« Did you know for…Myra…My wife? »

Ruvik stares at him and replies harshly. « All I know is that she’ll be next if she doesn’t leave me alone. »

He only wants to be honest with him while trying not to upset Sebastian, who despite everything understands the situation. But he will stay by his side.  
Ruvik sits down next to Sebastian.

« What happened before you passed out? »

« I…I was feeling weak and…everything was blurry. I could hear screams in my head. »

Motionless, Ruvik gives all his attention to Sebastian, never taking his eyes off him. He eventually stands up and moves closer to Sebastian, taking an interest in the man’s eyes. This time, he can’t hide the worry on his face.

« Ruvik, what’s wrong? »

Suddenly, Joseph comes back into the room. « How is he? »

« You were contaminated. » He reveals as he gathers new tools, some of them completely foreign to Sebastian, who tries to accept the news.

« What do you mean? »

« What happened when we were in the forest? Do you remember? »

Now, Sebastian remembers. Everything comes back to him.

« Yes…One of the creatures rushed to me and tried to strangle me. Everything happened so fast…It looked at me and…I had an headache…oh, no. »

Ruvik mumbles something under his breath and keeps preparing a sedative and other medical tools. Joseph can barely speak, shocked by the revelation.

« What are we going to do? We can’t leave him like this… »

« I’m preparing what’s necessary to postpone the process of contamination. You are going to lay down in my bedroom to have more space. You need to lay down somewhere. »

« You can do that? » Sebastian asks with hope.

« It can work. Come on, there’s no time to waste. »

Sebastian manages to stay calm, to not let his fear take over his mind. He knows that sooner or later, he will eventually die. But he doesn’t really realize it yet. He feels like living a nightmare. And it is one.  
Joseph, however, can’t stop himself from panicking as he speaks to Ruvik.

« Promise me we won’t let him die. »

« I cannot promise anything. Lay down. » He says and Sebastian follows the order in silence. It wouldn’t help Ruvik if he was acting like Joseph, already starting to lose control of himself.

« It’s my fault… » Joseph suddenly realizes. He could have helped him. « I should have stopped this monster from getting close to you…I was armed! Forgive me, Sebastian. » The detective tries to reassure him with a smile when he notices Ruvik is holding straps.

« What is that? » Joseph asks suspiciously.

« We will probably need that soon. » Sebastian immediately understands but the thought isn’t welcome in his mind.

« Are you going to tie me up? »

« Not yet, but I have to prepare in case it becomes a necessity. Give me your arm. » He gets a little needle out of his pocket and injects a liquid in Sebastian’s arm. « It should be able to delay the symptoms. I will keep giving you small doses in the next few hours or so. » Sebastian is staring at Ruvik, impressed by how professional the man looks.

« I trust you. » Sebastian declares.

« You don’t have any other choice…It’s gonna sting. » Indeed, it stings even more than it should but it isn’t Ruvik’s fault. The product is strong, even with a small dose. Furthermore, Ruvik is taking his time with the injection.

« There. » Ruvik stands up, preparing an IV. For a moment, he’s glad he kept all those medical products, even if they came from Jimenez and were at first intended to help with his experiments.

Sebastian is staring around the room, wondering what’s going to happen to him. Is he going to suffer, despite everything?

« We will find a way to save you, Sebastian. » Joseph’s shaking voice brings Sebastian back to the present. « I will stay here until you get better…Ruvik, please. »

Ruvik looks up as he hears Joseph calls him by his nickname. He nods without saying anything.

« If nothing works, Ruvik…Will killing me be an option? » Sebastian asks in a cold-blooded voice. After staring at him for a few seconds, Ruvik finally answers.

« We will do everything we can until it is the only option left. » The brown-haired man is only a bit reassured by those words. On the other hand, Joseph is terrified by the idea of Sebastian having to be killed.

Ruvik sits down on the bed. « Now listen to me. I am not healing you, I am only delaying what will eventually happen. Your state will get worse. But what I just gave you will help controlling your upcoming crisis. But it will also depend on you. »

Sebastian breathes loudly. « I understand. »

Ruvik stands up to keep an eye on the IV. Then , he leans towards Sebastian to catch his attention.

« You need to relax, no. It’s going to be effective, but first you need to control your breathe, be the only master of your body. It will help. Do your best. »

Sebastian slowly nods, thanking Ruvik with a simple look. The burned man walks away, advising the detective to stay alone. Before leaving as well, Joseph shakes his friend’s hand. Sebastian breathes in and out, closing his eyes. Everything seems calm inside his body and mind, for now. Despite that, he hears some faint screams but he manages to keep them low thanks to what Ruvik injected him.

_**« Don’t think about anything…Don’t think about anything… »** _

While Ruvik and Joseph make their way downstairs, in order to let Sebastian relax, Joseph can’t stop himself from showing his worry. « That’s what I was afraid of. That’s why I drove him to your home. I hoped I was wrong…When I saw how pale he was…like them. »

Ruvik stays silent. He acknowledges the fact that Joseph took the best decision by bringing Sebastian there.

« He’s strong. He can make it out of it alive. » Joseph declares, visibly quite confident now. Sighing, Ruvik is on the other hand not feeling the same way.

« And perhaps it will be the other way around. We cannot rule out the possibility that he won’t stay alive for a long time. His immune system is going to weaken soon. And…I don’t know what I can do about that. » He announces. He doesn’t want to lie to himself like Joseph does.

« What…? »

« I’ve never delayed someone’s death with science, I used it to expriment on corpses…Or for torture. But in this case…That thing is inside him and will slowly kill him from inside. What can I do against that? »

He tries to keep for himself the fact that killing Sebastian will probably end up being the only option. That what he’s currently doing will probably be for nothing and just make Sebastian’s death longer and more painful that it already is. And this doesn’t give him satisfaction.

« You… » Joseph stares at him, completely lost. « You cannot abandon him. We can’t–« 

« Be quiet. » Ruvik now feels a deep anger for the man. He gets closer to him, as if ready to kill him. Joseph instinctively steps back. « I let you stay in my house to keep an eye on him but there’s one condition.

Don’t discus my orders nor my decisions. » He ends up adding a few words on a softer tone. « Do it for him. »

Joseph nods, taking his phone. « I think I should…Call Kidman. She needs to know. »

He thought Ruvik would be opposed to it, but the man apparently has other matters to attend to. « Do as you want, but only is she’s going to be useful. We will make turns to monitor him. »

« Fine. Thank you. »

Of course, Joseph’s gratitude doesn’t mean anything to Ruvik. He makes his way to the bedroom to check on Sebastian, who still seems to be in control of his body. For now.  
A few minutes letter, Kidman arrives and is welcomed by Joseph. However, she isn’t alone. Diane is there as well, even more worried than Julia is. Confused by the little girl’s presence, Joseph stares at them.

« She wanted to come. » Kidman explains. « I was with her and her family when you called. Does Ruvik… »

When the hooded man walks into the room, Diane feels a chill run down her spine just by looking at him. He’s even more impressive when standing in front of him. Step by steps, she steps closer and stares at him without blinking.

« Can I stay? Please, mister…Sebastian has always been nice to me and–«  

« You can stay, but don’t you dare touch anything. » He answers harshly. Then, he focuses on Kidman, explaining the situation to her. She obviously wants to stay in order to help the detective.

« He was getting tired at the bar…I thought it was the alcohol. »

It’s Joseph turn to show culpability, which annoys Ruvik to no end.

« All of you, keep those pitiful excuses to yourselves and focus on the ways you could help with Sebastian’s condition, if you want him to at least survive the night. »

Joseph cannot help but think Ruvik doesn’t care about Sebastian and only use him as a new experiment. As far as he’s concerned, Ruvik’s coldness and harshness is a proof of that.

« Can I see him? » Diane asks with a little voice and Ruvik immediately answers.

« Later. » He turns around in the lab’s direction and Joseph sees him leaning against a table, thinking. Kidman kneels next to Diane.

« You will see him soon when he will get better, alright? But you need to stay still and behave. »

Diane obeys, hoping to get to see Sebastian at one point. The thought that he is in the same state as her mother was is devastating to her. But he looks strong, he can survive.  
Joseph catches up on Ruvik and notices that he is studying some schemes.

« What are those? »

« A result from past experiments on infected subjects. There has been thousands of them since years in STEM. I think I still have a machine in the basement which will allow me to run some tests. »

While speaking, Ruvik forgets he’s speaking to Joseph, too focused on his researches. He makes his way to the basement and to an old dusty machine. It is clear Joseph is worried.

« Can it work? »

This time, Ruvik doesn’t answer and tries to repair the machine after cleaning it up. Every spark startles Joseph. Amongst the schemes of the results are others clearly from other experiments. Tortures…

Sebastian told him about that.

« You…You did so many awful things… » Ruvik laughs mockingly, remembering the past events.

« Do you want me to express remorse, Mr. Perfect? » Just as Ruvik says those words, the machine starts to work. Sebastian is going to become what he always wanted to be. A subject. The most precious one.

But…Some things have changed. He cannot deny it.

« Will you see his brain’s state with this machine? What are you looking for, exactly? »

« A sort of shadow located in the frontal cortex. It can spread into the whole nervous system. What I injected into his body can delay this process, and with the scanner I will be able to see its extent. »

Still under tension, Joseph takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes, which is exactly the opposite of what Ruvik is doing. Indeed, the man stays calm and methodical in his gestures, even if he acts with vivacity.

« I…I think we will need to feed him at one point, he will get weaker if he stays unfed for a while… »

Approving this statement, Ruvik orders Joseph to gather some legumes and make a soup for Sebastian, something easy to digest. His sickness could get corse because of the product. It has some side effects but without it, Sebastian would already be dead.

Ruvik kept food for the rest of the group, knowing this whole situation was going to last for a while and was going to end up with Sebastian either dead or alive. After reuniting Joseph, Kidman and Diane, he decides to give them some instructions.

« Mr Oda, you will be the first one on the watch, be sure he’s eating everything we gave him. In case of a crisis, I will be forced to restrain him…Try to keep your composure and don’t forget that killing might be the only option. »

They all feel a pang at their heart at those words. But truth is always painful, Ruvik thinks as he keep speaking.

« To be honest, I cannot really do anything except from examining him and delaying the inevitable. I will do everything I can to keep him alive as long as possible, but I cannot promise you he will survive. Is that clear? »

Kidman lowers her head, her eyes full of tears and takes Diane into her arms, who is already crying. Joseph doesn’t say anything but accepts the facts. It’s stronger than him.  
Diane suddenly stands up and gets closer to Ruvik, too close, as she whispers and begs him to save Sebastian. The man gently pushes her away, looking at her straight in the eyes.

« I won’t say it again, I will do my best but I can’t promise you I’m going to save him. Do you understand that? So stop crying, that will do achieve and annoy me. »

Diane tries her best to stop crying, going back into Kidman’s eyes who stares at Ruvik with surprise. he stayed cold towards her, but patient as well. Which was a thing she didn’t except him to do.  
Hours later, Joseph walks inside Sebastian’s room. The detective is awake but pale.

« Hey, Seb…You need to eat. How are you feeling?’

Sebastian slowly stands up, making his way to Joseph. He barely looks alive.

« …Do I really need to? »

« That would be for the best. I see you’ve managed to control yourself. » Sebastian can see how worried Joseph is.

« I’m doing my best. » He says as he hears voices. At first they seem like they’re in his head, but he realizes they come from the other side of the door.

\- Am I hallucinating or is that Diane’s voice? 

Joseph sighs, trying to get him to eat.

-Please, Sebastian, you need to eat.

The brown haired man reluctantly starts to eat. 

\- I didn’t know Ruvik could cook.

\- I made that.  Joseph corrected. " And yes, Diane is here. 

Sebastian keeps eating, suddenly remembering how much he needs it.

\- I don’t want her to see me like that, with my future zombie head.

\- She wanted to come. Don’t eat too quickly.  Joseph advised him.

\- Poor kid…It won’t make things better is she sees me like that…Does that mean Kidman is here, too?

Joseph keeps an eye on Sebastian’s hands, which are starting to shake. « Yes, she is here. Everyone is here to help you, Seb. » The look in the detective’s eyes suddenly change, it melts into something malicious, vicious.

\- Then try your luck, play the warrior for once.

\- What did you just say? » His fear grows bigger as he sees Sebastian’s grip around the spoon tighten.

\- You perfectly understood me, you have a thing for her, I’ve always known that. Savor your hour of glory trying to bone her while I’m here dying.

\- Stop that Sebastian, you don’t know what you’re saying…

\- I don’t? She tries to kill you but you forgave her, if that’s not love, then what is it?

\- Sebastian, I’m married…

\- So am I, but it doesn’t mean anything nowadays. My own wife is the boss of some shitty organisation and left me. And your own wife, you’re not going to see her again soon…  
Joseph stays motionless, paralyzed, unable to move and speak in front of Sebastian, whose eyes are getting redder by the second.

\- But perhaps you don’t even want to see her again. You love your live, living with me. Because then you don’t have to take care of family issues, and you can even spend some time with a single lady. I don’t know if you’re her type, but hey…I’m going to share a secret with you. His voice is now reduced to a whisper.

\- Show her you can bite.

\- Sebastian…No… - He should have left to find Ruvik, but Joseph cannot find the will to move. As if he was under the influence of this demon Sebastian is becoming. Everything changes when Sebastian starts screaming and launches himself at Joseph, ready to bite him. Joseph tries to alert the others with his cries while trying to stop Sebastian. Ruvik and Kidman barge inside the room, trying to separate them by grabbing Sebastian’s arms. Kidman notices that Diane is in the room as well, staring at Sebastian while being completely petrified.

\- Diane, go back to the corridor! » She yells, panicked as Sebastian wriggles in her grasp.

\- Hold him! » Ruvik orders, reaching for a syringe. Joseph seems completely distraught.

\- He completely lost his mind! He wasn’t acting like himself, I didn’t know what to do!  
Sebastian starts screaming louder when Ruvik injects him the product, a bigger dose of it. The detective feels like he’s loosing control of his breathing but ends up calming down.

\- Shhh…It’s alright…Calm down…  For a moment, only Sebastian’s jerky breath can be heard. Joseph stares at him, tears in his eyes while Ruvik keeps massaging the detective’s arm to get him to calm down.

« We need to help him get up. » Together, they manage to get Sebastian to sit down on a chair before the man starts shaking. Ruvik covers his shoulders with a blanket, keeping his hand on the man’s arm.

\- I’m sorry, Joseph…  Sebastian whispers, visibly himself again. He cannot help but blame himself for his actions. - I didn’t want…

\- I know, I know…  His friend tries to reassure him with a smile. " That man, that…thing, it wasn’t you. " Ruvik makes sure Sebastian isn’t cold anymore and orders Kidman to stay by his side. He checks Sebastian’s eyes, who growls in pain.

\- He’s hurt…We should give him some morphine. 

\- I can’t. We shouldn’t mix he product I gave him with morphine, that could kill him.  Ruvik replies harshly.

\- But he’s suffering!

_-I know._  » Ruvik says in a annoying voice and grips Joseph’s arm. « What’s so difficult to understand in what I just told you? Remember what I said earlier. Don’t contest my decisions. Kidman, you’re going to stay with him. We need to get him to lay down on the bed.

Juli obeys without saying anything and Ruvik reconnects him to the I.V machine. He then walks out of the room as it gets harder for him to remain calm while thinking about Sebastian’s fate.

 


	15. chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastien is in agony and everyone is miserable.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoua the summary very joyful, yes it's been a while i didn't post the new chapter for many,many many reasons.....but here is is :) and thank you so so muc for all your comments,support and love really i'll never forget that .

The night seems endless and cold, a storm occasionally lighting the Victoriano manor which is mostly staying in the darkness. It’s now Kidman and Diane’s turn to be by Sebastian’s side, who’s heavily breathing. Diane cannot stop her tears from falling down her cheeks as she sees the current state of the man who did everything he could in order to help her. However, she wipes the tears away as Ruvik’s words come back to her mind. Crying is useless.   
She is also reminded of Lily, whom she saw in her dreams. She wanted to talk to her. Sebastian’s appearance is becoming more and more terrifying with every hour that passes. 

« It’s like mommy… » The child whispers. 

« I shouldn’t have allowed you to come, Diane. « You shouldn’t see this. »

« I wanted to come. » The girl protested. « Why him, Juli? » Kidman embraces her without taking her eyes off Sebastian. Indeed, it’s not fair. And as if things weren’t bad enough, he’s suffering. She knows the only way to put an end to his suffering is to kill him. But she won’t do anything, as Juli has always dared to hope for the detective’s survival. 

A sudden and unusual noise pulls her out of the thoughts, forcing her to focus back on Sebastian. When the man opens his eyes, they are red like blood. 

« Diane…He’s waking up…Sebastian, can you hear me? »

Sebastian’s sight is almost completely burry. He can barely see, but there’s a form in front of him…The form of a little girl…And it looks like his daughter. 

« Lily? » Talking only makes the pain worse, but he doesn’t stop. He feels like something inside of him wants to explode. That thing, Sebastian knows what it is. And he has to fight him, otherwise everything is over. He’s delirious now, as his corrupted brain sees Lily staring back at him and smiling. 

« No…It’s Diane. Do you remember me? »

« Diane… » Yes, he vaguely remembers the name, but it’s still Lily who is watching him. He needs to protect Lily. 

« You have to go. I’m going to hurt you. »

His breathing starts getting heavier and longer as his sight gets blurry. He hears sounds…voices. He knows this isn’t coming from his corrupted mind. Ruvik and Joseph just walked into the room.   
Ruvik gets closer to Sebastian, moving the machine above his head for a brain scan. Josep cannot take his eyes away from the scene, only hoping this will not damage anything in Sebastian’s brain. Fortunately, this isn’t the case. Blue lights appear from the machine while Ruvik stays focused on the task, pushing several buttons. Kidman can only stare at her as realization suddenly hit her. She would have to have a little talk with Ruvik. 

After a few but long stressful minutes, Ruvik finishes the checking and leaves the room without a word. Juli sees it as her change to exchange a few words with him. « Joseph, can you stay with Diane? »  
Confused, Joseph still accepts and lifts the girl up in his arms. For a moment, he thinks of his daughter, as he misses her a lot. He sits down in the chair next to the bed. A whispers reaches his ears an when he turns his head to find the source of the noise, Sebastian is staring at him with a strange look in his eyes. He must be going through a lot of pain. 

« Sebastian…? »

The detective stares at his best friend and Diane, who fell asleep in Joseph’s arms. He feels like he’s running out of time. Like he is about to disappear…He wants to stay, wants to keep going. He finally has found reasons to keep fighting. But at the same time, he feels like all his strength just evaporated. As he stares at Joseph, he realizes how difficult talking still is. 

« Thank you, Joseph… » Sebastian’s voice is weak but Joseph can still hear it. He smiles, letting Sebastian talk. « Thanks for being there…always. I’m lucky to have such a devoted friend. »

It certainly feels like a goodbye. Joseph can’t find the strength to say anything. If he does, he will probably cry. When he looks at Sebastian, he sees his best friend, this friend who has always been so strong, so powerful and who is now in pain. He closes his eyes, still refusing to accept the harsh reality.   
Sebastian is glad to have been able to confess those few words. Because he knows that soon, the demon will take over him. He will leave once again but this time, he will never come back.   
Joseph suddenly takes hold of his hand, trying to reassure him by his presence. Diane is still asleep and Sebastian looks at her with a tender look on his face. This time, he doesn’t see Lily. He sees Diane.   
  
Outside the bedroom, Juli slowly makes her way to the ground floor and spots Ruvik staring with melancholy at the family portrait. His gaze seems to be fixated on Laura, and only her.   
Ruvik is snapped out of his thoughts when he feels eyes on him and spots this woman staring at him, intrigued. Upset, he turns around and makes his way back to his lab, unable to stop her from following him.   
As he studies and focuses on several papers, Juli slowly steps closer to him, even more when she notices he’s holding the results of the scanner in his hands.

“So?” she asks, worried. “How…is his brain?”

Ruvik stays silent for a while, taking his time to analyze the results. 

“The black spot you can see represents everything that’s contaminated,” he replies on a neutral tone, refusing to make eye contact with Juli. “His brain isn’t entirely affected, mostly due to the injections and his rather impressive will to live.”

Ruvik’s words are as motivated by his scientific knowledge as they are by how well he’s starting to know Sebastian. He knows the man’s strength, and Juli can only interpret it as a pure and real admiration. Maybe even more…But she also doesn’t fail to notice how Ruvik seems almost lost, and touched. Sebastian’s will to survive isn’t enough anymore. That’s what he means. 

“Ruvik…All your bad intentions…I know it, I know what you wanted to do to us back in STEM. I know how you wanted to control this world and watch it burn little by little. But…I know you’re also doing everything you can to help him right now.”

She was hoping Ruvik would say something, but…it’s Ruvik. He isn’t what she was afraid of anymore. She knows he will never confess anything to her, on any subject. But she understands what he’s trying to do for Sebastian. 

“Just because you were working for Mobius…” Ruvik says on an icy tone. “I could have killed you.”

 **Giving her this mark is far worse…to remind her that no one gets out of STEM unscathed.**

She fears an attack, it would be so easy for him to kill her right now. _He could have_ , he says. 

“Why didn’t you do it?”

“Consider yourself lucky Sebastian knows you.”

Kidman eventually decides it’s wiser for her to stay silent, especially when Ruvik makes her understand he wishes to be alone. He’s only sparing her for Sebastian.   
  
It’s Ruvik’s turn to keep an eye on Sebastian, so he gently walks into the bedroom, only to see him breathe loudly, mumbling unintelligible words. He watches him for a long time, both fascinated and incredibly worried by his current state. A man holding onto life like Ruvik’s never seen it before with his own eyes. But not once does he find himself surprised. Sebastian is still here, fighting back in a way that’s both calm and determined. 

After a minute or so, he understands that Sebastian is mumbling his daughter’s name. Sitting next to him, Ruvik helps him drink some water. He can’t let the man get dehydrated, especially with the medicine that’s currently in his blood. With a hand gently resting on the back of Sebastian’s head, he helps the man drink, even if it takes some time before Sebastian’s lips slightly open, just enough for the man to drink the fresh water. 

This hand…cold but delicate in the way it holds his head. As if he was made of glass. Opening his eyes slightly, Sebastian sees this unique form that has always intrigued him. That has always been a show. Even if his vision is blurry for the most part, he always get a similar sensation from seeing this form. As if it was a benevolent spirit watching over him. And in that moment, the thought is followed by a warm sensation in his chest.   
Ruvik watches over him for a long moment, observing him like he’s always done. When he spots a small string of saliva slipping past Sebastian’s lips, he grabs a handkerchief to wipe it away gently.   
  
“Are we selfish?” Juli turns her head, only to see Joseph staring at the full moon through the window. They had decided earlier to stay in the living-room downstairs, with Diane still sleeping peacefully next to them. The thought of giving her back to her uncle crossed Juli’s mind, but she knew the child would have wanted to stay nonetheless. 

“What do you mean?” She asks, only for Joseph to repeat his question, his voice broken by sobs. 

“I’m starting to ask myself if…trying to keep Sebastian alive isn’t selfish. I feel like I am. You’ve seen him, how he’s suffering. He wouldn’t be suffering anymore if we had…” he can’t even finish his phrase. “I was refusing to see it, because Sebastian doesn’t deserve this…I mean, he doesn’t deserve to die like this. I’ve always thought he would die a hero. Because that’s what he is to me.”

If Juli doesn’t say anything about it, she doesn’t think any less of it. But she also knows they’re trying to save Sebastian’s life because that’s what he would have done for them. He wouldn’t have abandoned his loved ones. Even in work. All of them, and even Ruvik is aware of that.   
She knows Ruvik probably never crossed paths with un uncommon individual such as Sebastian. The only people in his life were liars, manipulators, monsters…Everything that makes humans a despicable and heartless species, which is what he ended up believing. But then Sebastian crashed into his life like some sort of miracle, as if to prove Ruvik there is always something worth fighting for and loving. Even as he started becoming a monster, he kept this warmth and goodness in him, even while suffering.   
Sebastian’s agony is starting to become hard to endure, and it’s true that putting him out of his misery could very well be the only solution at this point. But who would do it?

“It’s not selfish, Joseph,” Juli ends up replying with certainty in her voice. “But…I think that…”

"There isn’t any hope left, is it?”

Juli doesn’t say anything, ashamed by her own thoughts. She was hoping Sebastian would have a chance, but his current state seems to claim the opposite. 

“I’m starting to think that,” Joseph says. “He told me goodbye. Sort of. I wasn’t expecting it. But I think I’m ready to accept it now. I don’t want to see him suffer anymore, but to see him die…I don’t think I could. I’m nothing but a coward.”

At least that’s what he’s thinking. A coward; a useless coward who didn’t really do anything to try and help Sebastian. And he can’t even bear to witness Sebastian’s last moment on earth. 

“Joseph…”

Juli gets closer to him, sad to see him like this.

“If…I can’t see my family anymore, and if Sebastian is gone…What am I going to become?”

He can’t help but think this way, so Juli takes upon herself to show him the affection she usually doesn’t show people. She takes him into his arms and holds him tight, as if already grieving over Sebastian’s death.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is pained,Everyone suffer and cry..Life is beautiful right ?......


	16. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruben lost Laura...He become crazy...What if he lose Sebastian ?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End in coming my dears readers and here this beautiful chapter 
> 
> Listen this music When Sebastian say :" I'm so sorry " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNbfAdwXhcY

**Flash back:**

The disgusting sound of flesh being cut reaches Jimenez’s ears, as well as some noises made by the contact of tools and metal. Simply getting close to the laboratory of this particular student gave him nausea, especially since he had always had a bad feeling about him.  
And when he enters the room, his vision is filled with four bodies laying down on patient carts, and he’s horrified to realize that those people are still alive, and completely terrified. In the middle of the room, Ruvik doesn’t seem to notice Jimenez’s presence, as he’s completely mesmerized by what he’s currently doing. He’s studying – with precision and slowness – one of his victims’ brain while the person is quite obviously in intense pain.

« My god, Ruben…All those people… »

« Are my subjects. » The man ends up saying, his whole body covered by bandages. When Jimenez doesn’t answer Ruvik keeps talking on a tone filled with excitement.

« Each one of them brings me satisfaction. This way to fight back they have, to fight for survival, but their fear… It’s all I end up finding inside of their being…their brain. I see everything… »

Every word pronounced by Ruvik sends a chill down Jimenez’s spine, as he had not expected so much sadism from his former student. It also becomes harder to bear the moans of pain coming from what can only be called victims and not subjects, as Ruvik would say.

« I…I didn’t think you would go this far. You were not supposed to go this far, Ruvik, not supposed to torture people like that! »

Ruvik can only laugh at those words. He won’t be fooled by them.

« You don’t care about that. What truly upsets you…is that I got better than you. » While speaking, Ruvik plunges with care a needle right inside his victim’s brain.

« I didn’t think it would come to this. I was talking about animals, or if you were so interested by the human body…I thought that what I showed you would be enough for you! » Jimenez yelled, getting more and more disgusted by this little show as it kept going on. He really did create a monster…

« As a child, maybe, but people change as they grow up and learn. You were only interested in what is no more. What can we really learn from a dead body, apart from the decomposition of the flesh? You missed so many things…Emotions, for instance. Most things are discovered when the subject is still alive. The ecstasy is at its highest point. If you want to be useful, I will let you pick the next one. » He ends up killing the man slowly and delicately, as if he was cutting meat. « Vermin…Worth less than nothing…Until they’re in my care. »

The expression of his victim while drying is so surprising, his eyes wide and his skin blue. His breathing slowing down until there’s nothing left. Life, slowly leaving this scraggy and bloody body.  
He has never felt so much joy, due to accomplishing what he had been wanting to accomplish for so much time. The perfection of linking minds together, of creating a perfect world where he was hoping to be reunited with her.

« What did you want to see me for? » Jimenez finally asks, obviously mistrustful. Is this a trap? Jimenez can’t help but think it is, when he sees Ruvik smile mischievously. However, the man suddenly takes out plans of something that looks like a machine, with bathtubs connected to some sort of central jar.

« Look at this…Isn’t it beautiful? » Ruben can’t stop caressing the drawing with the tip of his finger, as if this was his greatest work yet. Despite being confused as he stared at the plans, Jimenez guessed it was.

« What is this? »

« My upcoming project. A perfect world. The one I’ve been trying to create for years. Those are my plans. And with them, I will finally be able to bring this project to completion. Their minds will be connected inside, and everything will be represented. Their desires, their fears, their feelings. All the things I will discover…And I hope to be connected to it one day, to learn even more. » So he finally succeeded, Jimenez thought. To find what he was looking for, to create the perfect tool to go beyond what the human mind had imagined, and to conceive something so real…But this machine gives Jimenez a bad feeling. Something vicious, morbid. _STEM._

« What do you want from me, Ruben? »

The same smile never disappearing from his face, Ruben took a few steps towards Jimenez, as if he was ready to kill him at the first refusal to collaborate.

« Well, I was hoping you would help me. » Jimenez stays silent, knowing perfectly how he would meet his maker if he didn’t help Ruben. But maybe he could do even more…Like finding a way to use this machine to his own benefits without Ruben knowing…

On a table nearby, Jimenez spots a box in which lays a medallion. The kind of object he wasn’t expecting to find here, out of all places. He slowly makes his way to it, stares at it like he was completely mesmerized by what seemed to be a blue saphir. However, he doesn’t have time to touch it, as Ruben violently grabs the man’s wrist, his eyes filled with fury.

« Don’t even _think_ of touching it. »

In that moment, Jimenez perfectly understands the true goal of his former student. He had seen this medallion before.

« I finally understand, you want to see her again…Is it really all that matters to you? Why… » It takes Ruben some time to answer but when he does, it’s on a softer tone, with his eyes closed and the medallion pressed against his chest.

« Because she was everything to me. My reason to fight, I will never find someone…someone like her. Her beauty, her kindness, her strength, her devotion. She was supposed to _live_. But I will find her again. No one will stop me from finding her again. »

Speechless, Jimenez can only watch as Ruben puts his determination into words. So all he wants is to be reunited with his sister, even if nothing is real. To find her in another world. He didn’t think Ruben would be able to bear a love so strong. A love going even beyond fraternel love. But this does not really surprise him. Ruben only ever knew his sister, she was the only one he was close to. A love that can seem strange at first, but that’s actually quite understandable, innocent and sincere.

« I will help you. » Jimenez ends up saying, ready to be part of this project. He does not stay long after that, quickly leaving Ruben to his own thoughts, who turns to his next victim, unfazed by the man’s begs.

« Oh, this is useless. Keep showing me your fear, I feed from it. You’re all just part of the show, you will never stop me from reaching my goal. My project will soon be real, something born from my knowledge and intelligence. For her…Just for her, I will never give up. »

With only Laura on his mind, he keeps savoring those long and agonizing deaths like the executioner he is.

**End of the flashback**

A dreadful cry was hear in the whole manor, Sebastian’s cry. Barely a few seconds later, Ruvik barges into the room, followed by Joseph, Kidman and Diane. Once inside, they notice that Sebastian isn’t on the bed anymore. He’s gone.

« Where is he? » Joseph desperately asks, staring all around him with the fear of being attacked by Sebastian at any moment.

Suddenly, they hear a strong and fierce breathing. Sebastian is hiding in the darkness, against the wall, covered in blood. His own blood, from tearing off his I.V. His eyes are red, his gaze murderous. He abruptly launches himself forward, like the monster he’s become, and Ruvik immediately grabs him by the throat before forcing him to lay down on the floor, sitting down on Sebastian’s body. He’s not even thinking, his instinct has taken over him. Then, he lifts his head up towards the others, who are watching helplessly.

« Leave the room. » He orders with a sharp voice while Sebastian doesn’t stop squirming. Of course, the others can’t help but believe that Ruvik is gonna put an end to all of this, and Diane quickly starts crying.

« No please don’t kill him! » She yelled, while Ruvik starts losing his patience. He can feel anger rising again.

« I told you to leave! »

Juli decide they’ve already wasted enough time and takes Diane in her arms while Joseph gives his friend one more look. It’s like Sebastian is gone.  
After getting out of the room and closing the door, they soon realize they’re completely clueless about what to do. Everything is over. Either Ruvik will kill Sebastian, or he will die. The monster took over him, there was nothing they could do. Nothing that worked.

« Juli…It’s over, isn’t it? » Diane whispers while Kidman strokes her cheek slowly.

« Yes. It’s over…I’m sorry, Diane… »

In the meantime, Joseph leans against the wall, mourning the apparent loss of his best friend.

« Seb… »

Ruvik brings Sebastian’s body even closer to his own, tightening his grip, trying to get the man to come back. He ends up grabbing Sebastian’s face between his hands, forcing him to make eye contact.

« Sebastian…I know you’re here. _Look at me_! » But the only thing staring back is the monster and not Sebastian. He’s still fighting, with a strength bigger than Ruvik imagined. But he won’t abandon him. Never. « You can do it, you can still fight, don’t ever stop, can you hear me?! » His voice began to shake due to the emotion, scared that the worst might be yet to come.

Sebastian is visibly experiencing difficulties to breathe, as if he was being tortured from the inside. Ruvik realizes with horror that the creature inside of him is slowly killing him. He can’t stop the panic from rising, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

« Sebastian, stay with me! » Within seconds, Sebastian is back. He’s still suffering and fighting but when he stares at Ruvik’s terrified face, his eyes are truly Sebastian’s. He’s crying too, exhausted, feeling like he can’t fight anymore. A part of him can’t help but be glad that Ruvik will be the last person he sees before dying and finally finding peace, finally finding his daughter.  
Sebastian slowly lifts his hand up to touch Ruvik’s face, who stays motionless and just stares at Sebastian, completely lost. At first, no one speaks until Sebastian decides to break the silence.

 ** _« I’m so sorry… »_** He whispers, his voice shaking and filled with sobs. Ruvik tries to understand what Sebastian means by that when he notices that the detective’s eyes are closing, his skin becoming paler, his breathing getting slower. And then, nothing. Ruvik can’t help but stare in shock at the man in front of him. No…Is Sebastian _dead_? 

« No please, I’m begging you…Don’t leave. _I accept you in my life_ , isn’t that what you wanted? » He asks on a broken voice, caressing the pale and cold face of Sebastian, as if he was trying to warm him up, hoping it would get the man to wake up. With his basic skills in reanimation – he was better at bringing people to the gates of death rather than back from it, after all – Ruvik does everything he can to bring Sebastian back by mouth to mouth and chest compressions but the man’s body stays motionless. This leads to Ruvik taking Sebastian’s body in his arms, not able to control his rage anymore. He’s screaming, holding Sebastian as close as possible, pressing his head against the detective’s chest. Upon hearing this scream, Juli, Joseph and Diane know it’s over.

  
Ruvik is crying like he’s never cried since his precious Laura’s death. He can’t stop while holding Sebastian’s body close, as if he was back to being a child. But that’s precisely with this thought that Ruvik remembers something. He pulls Laura’s medallion out and wraps it around Sebastian’s neck before carefully laying Sebastian’s body down on the floor. It can work. It has to work.  
Without taking his eyes off Sebastian, this man who matters more than he would have thought, Ruvik puts his fingers on Sebastian’s temples and tries to focus on their connection. Closing his eyes, he kept whispering until his voice rises.

« He has to live…he has to live…he has to live! » Again and again, he pronounces those words desperately, almost _praying_ for Sebastian to come back to him. Their connection has to be stronger, the medallion needs to prove how strong their bond is. He won’t give up, even if it means dying and find Sebastian and Laura on the other side, if there’s even an other side. Nothing exists around him anymore, only Sebastian matters.

While Ruvik is busy screaming, Sebastian suddenly takes a deep breath, his eyes suddenly opening for barely a second before closing them again. He’s unconscious. Unconscious but alive. His breathing seems to be stable, but it’s clear the man is exhausted. He will need rest. After what was probably the most intense experience he’s felt in a long time, Ruvik slowly lays down next to him, trying himself to recover from the exhaustion and what had just happened. He touches Sebastian’s cheek with the back of his hand and is incredibly relieved to notice that it’s warm.  
Everything is silent in the room, only two breathing can be heard, with Ruvik’s body curled up against Sebastian’s.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So ?.....Yes Ruvik (with Laura's magic help) saved Sebastian.It will stay my most beautiful fanfiction that i wrote with all my heart and soul.Epilogue will come soon :)


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